Bizarro World
by PriscillaPal
Summary: An unexplained phenomenon takes Michonne to an alternate reality, where the Governor has two eyes, Rick is wearing an eyepatch and more than a few dead people are very much alive.
1. Chapter 1

**BACKSTORY**: This story begins when Michonne decides to end her pattern of shutting down and being a lone wolf. After she decapitates all of the walkers around her, and goes in search of other survivors of the Governor's prison massacre, Michonne runs into a strange phenomenon...

* * *

><p>She had just seen the tin container of chocolate pudding in the road, abandoned but recently eaten. Michonne knelt by it, then looked over at a particular house, sensing that the person that had eaten the delicacy, was inside at that moment.<p>

Michonne stood to full height and was about to walk over to the curb, when something rippling caught her eye. She turned from the house and looked down the street.

Off in the distance, the scenery looked wavy. Like how it might look if it were 150 degrees and smoke was wafting up from the pavement. But it was not 150 degrees. It was no more hot than it usually was, and yet something wavy was moving her way.

Michonne shook her head at first, sure that she was imagining things. Maybe the wavy reality wasn't coming her way? Maybe it just looked like it was?

Then the oddest thing happened. Two walkers, that Michonne hadn't even sensed were nearby, passed her without so much as a glance and sniffed the air, hurrying towards the wavy wall, that had indeed moved closer.

Michonne stood transfixed, as the walkers walked **THROUGH** the haze! She gasped, her mouth open and katana poised, ready to strike. Where had those walkers went? And should she try and fight off whatever was behind this mysterious 'wall', or run to get help from whomever had eaten that pudding?

She swallowed convulsively and decided to run! She turned and ran towards the curb, bounded up the walk, across the lawn and up the porch steps! But before she could peer in through a window, to see who might be inside, the wave reached her and the house and everything began spinning!

The next thing Michonne knew, she was outside of the prison again. A perfectly intact looking prison. She heard snarls and quickly cut off the heads of three walkers that were dragging themselves up to her, before turning away and running towards the front prison gate. Someone saw her because the doors opened quickly, then closed before any walkers could reach the opening.

Michonne stopped to catch her breath slightly, then looked up in wonder as Hershel greeted her warmly!

"It's good to have you back, Michonne. I'm glad you saw the error of your ways." he said kindly, rubbing her shoulder. Michonne blinked, dumbfounded that he was alive and processing his words to her. 'The error of her ways'?

Hershel now looked concerned. Michonne was staring at him like she had never seen him before!

"Are you alright? Did you see something on your run? Where is everyone else?" he asked softly. Michonne continued to gape at him until her eyes left his and another 'ghost' appeared.

Andrea.

"Michonne? Hershel, I think something's wrong! Michonne?" Andrea now yelled in her face. Darryl slowly walked over and waved a hand in front of her face. He then looked at Hershel and Andrea.

"You'd better go get Phillip." Darryl advised. Michonne came out of her shock.

"Phillip? Who's that?" she asked, confused.

Now the three of them really looked at her like she **HAD** lost her mind! Andrea put a hand on her shoulder.

"Honey, Phillip is your husband, remember?"

Hershel pulled Darryl aside.

"I'm going to take her back to her cell and examine her. She could've been bitten and the wound isn't obvious." he told him.

"No one has ever had amnesia after being bitten." Darryl noted with a snort.

"We don't know she has amnesia. She seems to know us." Hershel noted. He then returned to the two women.

"Andrea, help Michonne to her cell. Darryl, get Phillip..."

Michonne suddenly shook everyone off of her and raised her sword!

"**YOU** are dead!" she snapped at Hershel. She then looked at Andrea.

"And so are you! I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I'm leaving! Open the gate **NOW**!"

Hershel backed off and whispered to Darryl for him to go get his bag. He planned to sedate Michonne and then get to the bottom of this once and for all. Darryl hurried off, unsure that he should be leaving Hershel and Andrea at the mercy of a sword wielding woman, who had lost her mind!

But he did as he was told, and on his way, passed Maggie and Glenn.

"What's happening?" Maggie asked.

"Michonne is back and something ain't right. Hershel plans to sedate her."

"I'll go and help," Glenn said, "Maggie go and get Phillip and Rick."

Maggie nodded and hurried off with Darryl. Glenn ran the opposite way and stopped short at what he saw. Michonne looked absolutely crazed! She was warding Hershel and Andrea off, and yelling for the gate to be opened. He eased over and Michonne saw him.

"Thank God! Someone that is really alive! Glenn, open the gate! I have to get out of here! The waves will take me back!"

Glenn said nothing and eased over to Andrea.

"Maybe she found some PCP or something on her run?" he asked.

"She found something and I don't like it!" Andrea hissed softly.

Meanwhile, Darryl hurried into Hershel's cell causing Beth, who was caring for Judith, to raise a brow. Maggie then whipped past her shortly after and ran up to Phillip and Rick.

"Phillip, Michonne is back and something is wrong! She's wielding her sword and Hershel wants to sedate her!"

Phillip hurried after Maggie, while Rick strapped on his gun belt and followed. Meanwhile, Michonne began to feel unwell. She suspected it was her lack of food after traveling in search of others. But suddenly, she passed out, dropping her sword.

When she opened her eyes, it was all she could do to keep from choking! The Governor, who Andrea called 'Phillip', was standing over her with **TWO GOOD EYES**! And Rick...Rick was the one wearing an eyepatch.

Her world went dark after witnessing such a confusing and jarring spectacle. It would only get worse when she awakened.


	2. Chapter 2

Phillip Blake didn't quite know how he was going to deal with his wife, Michonne, when she awakened.

She had been on a run with a few other people that they had taken in at the prison, seeking refuge. But Michonne was the only one that had come back. And from what everyone was saying, she didn't seem to have her wits about her either. What the hell could have happened?

Hershel took her pulse, then rose from the now sleeping woman and faced him.

"The others didn't come back, including a nice young man that Bethie liked. We've all been on runs and lose people during them. But something else happened on this one."

"I know." Phillip said "I don't know what to make of it either. I guess we'll find out when she wakes up. Who's looking after Judith?"

"I am." Rick said as he brought in a bi-racial looking child, who had one small hand on his face. Phillip felt the muscles in his neck tighten. He didn't like Rick holding Judith and only a few people knew why, Hershel being one of them.

"Why don't you let me take her, Rick?" Hershel asked lightly.

"She's fine where she is." Rick said coldly. "Or until her mama wakes up."

"Her daddy is right here." Phillip said calmly, stretching out his arms. Rick hesitated for a long moment, then handed Judith over to Phillip, before walking out of the cell. Hershel sighed before speaking.

"I know this is not my place. But are you sure Rick and you can make this work? There can't be two leaders here at this prison."

"Rick was here first. I understand that," Phillip said as Judith rested her head against his chest and fell asleep, "but there are things about the way he runs this prison, that he has to be challenged on. I'm not looking to leave, Hershel. Michonne and I have Judith to think about. And she needs a roof over her head."

"And yet," Hershel prodded gently, "Michonne went on this run after a fight with you. I know I'm prying but the tension between you all has to be dealt with before someone explodes."

Phillip just nodded. Hershel glanced back at Michonne, then quietly left the cell. He passed Andrea on the way.

"How is she?" Andrea asked.

"Out like a light. Maybe it would be best if you left them alone for the night." Hershel said kindly. But Andrea could hear the warning in his voice. She sensed Hershel knew of her love for Phillip.

She decided to back off. For now.

"Fine. I'll check on Michonne in the morning." was all Andrea said, as she turned and walked away. Hershel stared after her sympathetically.

* * *

><p>When Michonne awoke, she did not realize it was the next day. But she did understand that she was back in the prison. And for a short while, she had to try and remember if the Governor's massacre had actually been the dream, or was it this existence she was living now?<p>

The answer to that question revealed itself, when she heard a noise in the corner. Michonne looked over and saw a baby, with dark curly hair, standing in a crib and looking at her. Michonne blinked. **WHO'S** baby was that? It certainly wasn't Judith. Then again, maybe Judith didn't exist in this reality. Did that mean Carl wasn't here as well?

And Rick...Michonne rubbed her eyes. Why did **HE** have the patch on his eye instead of the Governor? And speaking of...

Phillip walked into the cell, wearing shower shoes and a dark blue robe! And the belt could use some more tying! Michonne stood up quickly and backed back!

"Well good morning! It's good to see you up!" Phillip exclaimed, moving to kiss her. Seeing his intention and unable to hide her horror, Michonne went off!

"Don't you touch me! Get out of here!" she snapped. The baby started crying and Phillip hurried over to her and picked her up.

"There, there now, honey. Your mama is just tired."

Michonne's eyes widened! 'Mama'? That baby was hers? She'd had a baby here? By who? Oh God...

A young girl walked in and gave her a surly look. Michonne thought she looked vaguely familiar. She quickly realized that she had seen her around the prison in the other reality. Carol seemed to be in charge of her. Michonne thought her name was...

Phillip smiled down at the girl.

"Mornin' Lizzie, sweetheart! Help daddy with your sister, alright?"

"Okay, Daddy." Lizzie smiled brightly. Then she gave Michonne a look that she didn't especially care for, before taking the baby.

"Come here, Judith. Let's get you changed." Lizzie said brightly. Michonne's throat began to go dry and she tried to keep calm. She needed to get out of the gate so that she could find the supernatural looking wave, that had brought her to this fresh hell. She watched the child take 'Judith' from the cell leaving her alone with the Governor, who finally turned his full attention on her.

"Michonne, honey..." he began. But Michonne interrupted him!

"Don't call me that!"

"Which? Michonne or honey?" Phillip asked sarcastically. "Now you have to pull yourself together so that you can answer some questions. Tyrese wants to know what happened to Karen and everyone else that went with you yesterday. Only you came back."

Michonne said nothing at first.

Then she spoke.

"Judith is our baby and Lizzie is your daughter and we're...'engaged' or hopefully 'friends with benefits' or..."

"Married, Michonne!" Phillip snapped. "What happened to you out there? Why are you acting as if you can't stand the sight of me? We are married, Lizzie is my daughter from my first wife who died during the apocolypse. We met and fell in love while escaping the biters and we got married in a double wedding with Glenn and Maggie..."

Before the Governor could say another word, Michonne ran past him and dropped in front of the toilet to vomit! And it just kept coming and coming as possible images of herself letting that man touch her, flowed through her brain!

Tyrese now appeared in the doorway and looked alarmed. Phillip, who was now on edge, moved Tyrese away from the cell. More then a few people could hear Michonne's throwing up.

"Is she alright?" Tyrese asked.

"No. I'm about to get Hershel." Phillip admitted.

"Phillip, we don't know that Karen or the others **ARE** dead! Maybe something happened where Michonne had to come back and get help and they're waiting someplace for us to come and get them." Tyrese offered desperately. Phillip had to admit that possibility had not crossed his mind.

Meanwhile, Rick, walked casually into the cell, while Tyrese and Phillip were conversing. He walked over to the toilet, and knelt down next to Michonne, making sure that her braids were not spewed with barf.

"Honey, this crazy bit is good, but wouldn't it be easier if we just killed him?" Rick whispered.

As if on cue, Michonne stopped throwing up! She raised her head and looked at one eyed Rick.

"What?" she asked weakly.

"Meet me in the guard tower at two." was all he said, standing up to full height and walking out of the cell. Phillip and Tyrese did see him leave and re-entered the cell.

"What did he want here?" Phillip asked tersely.

Michonne slowly stood up. Phillip reached out to help her, but she shied away from him. Tyrese reached out to assist her and found she was not adverse to accepting his help. Michonne thanked him softly, then rinsed out her mouth and splashed her face, before toweling it off. She then turned to face the men.

"I don't remember anything about yesterday, Tyrese. I'm sorry."

"They could still be out there! If you could just remember where you went?" Tyrese pressed her. And that was when Michonne figured out how she was going to get them to open the gate!

"Oh my God! It's coming back to me! I remember where everyone is but I'm going to have to show you." Michonne lied somberly. Once they were in the car, she would jump out and find her way back to **HER** reality.


	3. Chapter 3

Michonne began to get ready for the 'rescue run' and tried to ignore her general unease about this reality. She had to look as if she fit in here. She had to seem like the Michonne that was from **THIS** reality.

But where was the other Michonne? Had she and the others that she had been on the run with, got swept away in that wavy haze that brought her here? Michonne realized what was really bothering her, was what would she do if she couldn't somehow escape from Tyrese and the Governor and get back to her own reality? How long could she keep pretending that she didn't remember where she and the others had been?

There was a third possibility, of course. That walkers had killed all of them. And of course an additional, tragic option was that something else had happened to the others. Maybe they had ran across some depraved group of people that had killed them for their supplies.

Michonne was strapping on her katana, when Maggie quietly entered the cell. Michonne smiled at her. It appeared that Maggie and Glenn were together, as it should be in any reality.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Maggie asked, her voice brimming with concern.

"Better." Michonne answered.

"Strong enough to go on this run?"

"Maggie, people are missing. You see how Tyrese is. He's not going to be satisfied until he knows why I didn't come back with everyone, especially Karen."

Maggie folded her arms.

"Michonne, I just think that this is stress. You're not remembering because we've put too much on you."

Michonne raised a brow.

"You put too much on me? How?"

Maggie gave her a look of incredulity! Michonne realized she was about to hear another reveal. One she would probably not like much.

Maggie looked around and then lowered her voice.

"I know we don't speak of this out loud. But when Rick began sending Merle around to collect rent..."

"Whoa!" Michonne snapped. "Merle is alive?"

Maggie clenched her jaw! She was now really worried that Michonne's sacrifice had pushed her over the deep end! And yeah, who didn't wish that Merle was dead?

"Yes," Maggie said carefully, "and when Rick went off the deep end, after losing Lori and the baby, he and Merle began charging people to stay here. You're telling me you really don't remember any of this?"

Michonne cleared her throat.

"Humor me, okay? Tell me all of it."

Maggie nodded and continued on.

"Rick just turned into a completely different person after Lori and the baby died. You can tell even Carl doesn't like what Rick's become. Anyway, he just grew hard. When Phillip and you showed up with Lizzie and the others from Woodbury, that was when Rick decided to charge rent for you all living here. When Glenn and I complained, we were then charged rent as well."

"Rent how? Money couldn't mean anything to him?" Michonne asked, perplexed.

"People that weren't fit for going out on runs, began to go, just so they could pay for their stay there. If you didn't have something Rick wanted by the end of the month...well...if you were a woman, you had to sleep with Rick. If Rick wasn't interested in you, then he passed you down to Merle. Men were just thrown out all together to fend for themselves. And married men had to prostitute their wives."

"You said I made a sacrifice? Couldn't the gov...Phillip, pay?" Michonne asked, now feeling like she wanted to vomit again.

"You offered yourself to Rick to keep him from throwing Glenn and I out! We told Rick he was wrong and he got mad and insisted we start paying. Glenn refused and Merle wanted me for the night. You stepped in and offered yourself to Rick and..."

"And what?" Michonne asked quietly.

"Well, he never really asked for anyone else after you. And you talked him out of throwing other people out. Your affair with him kept him civil. Then when you had Judith, we all assumed she was Rick's. But I don't know I mean I guess she could be Phillip's."

Michonne nodded and clenched her teeth. Yep, she was hauling ass out of here right now!

"Thank you, Maggie for your concern. I'm just going to find Tyrese so we can be on our way."

Maggie eyed her. What she had just told Michonne really was a surprise to her. She honestly didn't think it was wise for her to leave the prison this damaged. But Michonne gathered up her things and left the cell, walking past her towards Tyrese's cell.

* * *

><p>But she didn't find Tyrese there.<p>

She found Merle inside manhandling Sasha! Michonne was about to reach back for her sword when they both noticed her! Sasha wriggled out of his grip and hurried out of the cell.

"Michonne, I'm **REALLY** glad to see you!" Sasha cried.

"Well hello there, Nubian Queen!" Merle grinned in his usual 'Deliverance' like drawl. "I see you're looking a hundred percent!"

Michonne just stared at him for a moment, then turned to Sasha.

"Is this about rent?"

"Rick wants some kind of tentsile. Tyrese and I were going on a run to find a sporting good store but with what might have happened to Karen, I don't know when we'll get the time. And with Merle eyeing me all of the time...Michonne, you have to help me! Maybe we could go on a run to find one?"

Merle who was listening, grinned!

"Now, girl, you know damned well that's not what you want Michonne to do for you."

Michonne was about to say something to Merle that was less then civil, when Rick suddenly appeared looking annoyed.

"What is this? Michonne, we're waiting for you to come on here."

"You're going too?" Michonne asked, uneasily. "Someone with some authority should stay here."

"Merle is here." Rick replied casually.

"Someone else as well." Michonne said dryly.

"Darryl is here." Rick said with a sigh. He then focused on Sasha.

"Do you have that tent yet?"

"Tyrese and I got behind on that. If we could just have an extension..."

But Rick interrupted her.

"I'm going to tell you, the same thing I'm going to tell Tyrese: get me the tent by midnight tonight, or the only way you get an extension is if you fuck Merle."

"Hey!" Michonne snapped. "What happened to you?! How can you be like this?"

Rick stared at her. Hard. He then looked over at Merle.

"Leave us."

Merle grinned again but this time it was at Michonne.

"Now stop playing coy, girl. You know that tent is for Rick and you to fuck in."

Rick gave him a dirty look through his good eye and Merle slowly left the cell. Rick looked at Sasha.

"Do you have someplace to be?"

Sasha turned and walked off in the opposite direction. Rick waited until she was a good distance away before speaking.

"I'm going to go along with this amnesia thing you've got going here. I mean sometimes you really look as if you don't know what the hell is going on. But it's getting old. If you want to spare Sasha or anyone else, things have to go back to the way they were between us and then some."

Michonne bit her lip. There were many things swirling through her head right now.

1. Apparently, she had been whoring herself out to Rick, to keep him from asking all other women to sleep with him.

2. Some women had not been so lucky and also, Merle picked up whatever Rick didn't want.

3. Rick was charging rent during an apocalypse! The Rick Michonne knew, would never act like this.

4. She still hadn't seen Carl around anywhere and she was worried.

5. Could she really leave here knowing that people were in such peril?

6. And lastly...why did Rick look so sexy with that eye patch?

Rick tilted his head. He was beginning to feel uneasy, as if something WAS wrong. He would have never pegged Michonne as that great an actress.

"What's it going to be?" Rick asked tersely.

"Can I give you my answer when we get back?" Michonne asked, now giving him her full attention. She decided she couldn't worry about what she could not control. Once she was back in her own reality, she would wipe this whole thing from her memory and move on.

But either Rick hadn't liked her request or he couldn't believe what he just heard, because he was staring at her oddly.

"I just need some time, that's all. I'll give you my answer when we find the others, okay?" Michonne requested again. Rick nodded slightly and she moved past him and out of the cell. Rick stared after her for a long moment, and then followed after her. He was now convinced that something was indeed wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

Phillip could not hide his annoyance at seeing Michonne and Rick walk up to the car. Tyrese, who was going to be driving, did notice. And he felt bad for all those involved.

He and Sasha had originally been at Woodbury, a nice town with about 75 people that had been run by Phillip and Michonne. There was no 'rent' bullshit. Woodbury had been about family, honor and hard work. Everyone shared in guard duty, cooking, even mowing of grass when necessary. Tyrese knew that Phillip and Michonne were striving to give people back the society that they had come from, before everything went to hell and back.

Then Andrea showed up from God knows where. She claimed she had been thrown out of some other group at a prison, and had been left to die. Phillip and Michonne took her in, fed her and nursed her back to health. Andrea should have just become another member of Woodbury society.

Tyrese remembered that it was Sasha that first said she saw Phillip and Andrea kissing. Tyrese warned her not to say anything to Michonne and to his knowledge, she didn't. But it became clear that Michonne found out somehow. And it didn't help that Andrea bonded with Lizzie, Phillip's daughter from a first marriage.

And then came the fire.

Yes, someone set fire to Woodbury and walkers got in. They all had to evacuate in a hurry and it was Andrea that suggested trying to get back in at the prison. Tyrese could honestly say, that if he could find better, he would take Sasha and Karen and leave this damned place!

Things really went wrong when they arrived. Something either had happened with Rick and Andrea or Andrea and Darryl, Tyrese could never figure it out. But Rick's cool welcome mixed with vile hostility, was clear to everyone from the start. And Tyrese felt that Rick could sense the problems between Phillip and Michonne and took advantage.

But he didn't dare say that shit to Rick, that was for damned sure!

Meanwhile, Michonne walked to the passenger side of the car and started to open the door, when Phillip stopped her, his hand touching hers. It was all she could do not to jump out of her skin!

"I thought we could sit in the back." he suggested.

"I need to be able to see clearly, so I can tell Tyrese where to go." Michonne replied, shaking off his hand and opening up the door. Phillip could feel Rick's eye on him, but he ignored him and got in in the back, followed by Rick.

Tyrese started the car and soon, the gate opened. Michonne breathed a secret sigh of relief. She would just wait a bit, jump out of the car and run into the woods until she lost them. Then she would search for the wavy wall by herself.

The drove in silence for awhile and then something totally messed up happened.

Karen and Bob appeared in the road, caked with dirt and looking like living hell! Michonne's mouth dropped open as Tyrese squealed to a stop and he, Phillip and Rick jumped out of the car and hurried towards them.

Michonne realized she would only have one chance. She eased over into the driver's seat, started up the car, backed back and turned around! There had been a turn off back aways! She would turn down that road and lose them all forever!

Michonne found the side road, turned quickly and sped down the street! She began to relax the further she got away. Oh thank God! Thank God! Now she didn't have to worry about that soap opera she had just left! And God knows what Karen and Bob would've said about her!

Meanwhile, Phillip recovered from Michonne's appalling get away, by looking around, then catching Rick by surprise by pistol whipping him! Rick fell to the ground for a brief moment, before Tyrese backed Phillip up by pointing his own gun down at Rick!

Phillip looked down at Rick.

"We could have all lived together without any bloodshed or trouble. But no. You had to come in between my wife and me!"

Rick spit out some blood, then burst out laughing!

"I didn't come between shit! You messed up with Andrea! Hell, knowing you, you messed up before her! Forcing a woman like Michonne to be a mother to your psychotic brat!"

Phillip now grinned!

"Lizzie is a model child. Just because she put out your eye with that piece of glass, doesn't make her dangerous. Lizzie was just trying to protect Michonne."

Karen and Bob glanced at one another. Karen had always wondered how Rick lost his eye. She could've never imagined Lizzie had any involvement in that. Bob licked his lips. He needed a drink badly!

Tyrese cocked the hammer on his own gun.

"I'm tired of your 'rent' demands! And you had better keep that mongrel of yours away from my sister and Karen here!"

"Mongrel? I don't know who you could be talking about, Tyrese," Rick said calmly, "but if you all are planning to just beat me down and leave me out here, think again. Merle, Darryl and more than a few others, have been given special instructions on what to do if that happens."

Phillip's grin faded slightly. But not from surprise.

"I'm sure they have been told what to do in case we planned a 'coup'. But do they know what to do in the case of your running off with my wife?" Phillip asked.

Now Rick did look surprised! His jaw clenched.

"What the hell are you talking about? No one is going to believe that."

Tyrese snorted!

"The hell they won't! Everyone and their mama knows that not only are you hot for Michonne, but that Judith is..."

Tyrese stopped himself. Karen put a hand on his shoulder and Bob continued to really wish he had a drink!

Phillip turned away from Rick and confronted Tyrese.

"I hope you're not suggesting that Judith is Rick's? Because that is just not true. She's almost the spitting image of Lizzie when she was that age." Phillip said softly. Karen linked arms with Tyrese.

"No! No, he isn't saying any such thing, are you, Tyrese?"

Bob looked expectantly at Tyrese, expecting him to back down. But he didn't.

"Phillip, I am not trying to be disrespectful here. I'm just trying to point out another reason to get rid of him. We need to do more than just leave him out here. We need to make sure he can never come back to the prison. Our story about his running off with Michonne won't hold for long with Merle and Darryl." Tyrese said matter-of-factly.

"Uh guys?" Bob interrupted. "He's gone."

Phillip, Tyrese and Karen looked down and saw that during their argument, Rick Grimes had slipped off.

"**DAMN**!" Phillip screamed. "**WE NEED TO FIND HIM NOW**!"

Bob agreed as he followed after the three of them. They had sincerely fucked up and he wanted no part of it!** HE** was paying Rick rent with bottles of whiskey! But if Rick got back to the prison before them and got his men together, there would be no need for any of them to take their sorry asses back there!

* * *

><p>Michonne didn't quite understand that in this reality, <strong>EVERYTHING<strong> was the opposite or backwards. So the road she was traveling on, was actually taking her back to the original road she had been on with the others!

Michonne recognized a few things and started to turn around, yet again, when she realized she should be seeing someone walking in the road. Where the hell did that group go anyway?

Michonne found herself slowing down to a crawl and looking in the woods from the driver's side. Had Tyrese, Bob and Karen been attacked? Should she stop and help?

No. She couldn't risk running into the Governor and Evil Rick. She turned away and looked face forward, when Rick quickly ran out of the woods, opened the passenger side car door and got in, slamming the door behind him.

He just as quickly pointed his gun at her.

"Start driving. I'll let you know when to stop." he smiled and Michonne could see lust shining bright in his one eye. Oddly, she found herself wondering if the real Rick would ever look at her like that in their lifetime?

Michonne shook off such ridiculous thoughts and did as she was told. Driving until she was told to stop.


	5. Chapter 5

"Here. Stop here." Rick ordered Michonne. Michonne sighed and pulled into the parking lot of a Dairy Queen. She then turned off the engine.

"What, Rick? What do you want from me?"

"Tell me why you took off like that? Tell me what's going on? Karen and Bob said there was some kind of weird tornado/typhoon thing that swept them someplace. Only we all know that's bullshit. Nothing around here looks like it was destroyed by anything like that. So what happened?"

Michonne turned to face him. She decided to tell the truth. What did she have to lose?

"They're not lying. I was hit with it. But in a different time or world."

Rick scoffed!

"What are you talking about? A different time and world?"

"What I'm talking about," Michonne began to hiss, "is that I come from a world, where there has been an apocalypse and no one knows why! I end up with a group of people lead by a man named Rick Grimes who is** NICE**! Who wouldn't dream of charging people rent during a disaster like this! Who's wife died while giving birth to a little girl named Judith! He has a nice son named Carl! Oh and I for damned sure am not married to 'Phillip'! He's a piece of filth who calls himself 'The Governor' and he's a murderer! He killed Andrea, Hershel and Merle plus too many other people to count! Oh and I put out his eye! You have two good eyes..."

"Okay, okay!" Rick stopped her, looked her over. "You're serious? You actually believe all of that?"

"I know it! The idea of my having a baby with that fuck makes me nauseous!"

Rick, who had lowered his gun, now raised a brow.

"So that's what all of that throwing up was about earlier?"

"Rick, the Michonne you know, must have gotten swept away to another reality. Karen and Bob had to be someplace else as well. But 'someplace else' also looks a lot like here. So maybe they didn't know." Michonne told him.

"Okay, let's say I bought this. Any of it. Prove you're not my Michonne."

Michonne raised a brow.

"How do I do that? And by the way, I'm not 'your Michonne'. We have no relationship in my world."

"None at all?" Rick asked with some disbelief.

"We're friends." Michonne allowed.

"So there's hope?" Rick asked. Michonne thought it was an odd question but shrugged.

"I guess. There's no time for fooling around really. There's always some kind of emergency. Always a walker breathing down your neck. It's very much like it is here. Only you don't charge rent. And the Governor is dead."

Rick stared at her for a long while, then spoke.

"Get out of the car." he ordered her. Michonne sighed and got out. Rick did likewise. He pointed the gun at her again.

"Take off that top."

Michonne's jaw tightened.

"No."

"My Michonne has a scar. Take off that top and the bra and we'll see if your BS' ing me or what." Rick said coolly. Michonne took a deep breath, then removed her vest and her bra. They dropped to the ground and she tried not to feel self conscious as Rick's lustful stare grew with intensity.

But it grew, because Michonne did not have the tell tale scar that she had received from Lizzie, when she had come at them with that shard of glass, after finding the two of them in the tunnels. Michonne looked away from him and saw two walkers faces, peering out of the Dairy Queen. They both were wearing uniforms.

"You can get dressed now. Or not." Rick smiled. Michonne put on the bra, then the vest and looked at him.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well what?" Rick countered.

"Did you see what you needed to see?"

"Yeah. You aren't my Michonne. Which actually makes you hotter than ever."

Michonne rubbed the back of her neck.

"What does that mean?"

Rick now openly grinned!

"It means...possibilities." he answered, walking around to her side and taking the keys from her. "Get in. I'm driving."

"I need to find that that thing I came through and get back where I belong! I can't fake being married to the Governor! I can't take seeing all of these dead people and pretending that I'm used to seeing them alive! Now you take the car but I'm leaving!"

Rick slowly holstered his gun, then quickly seized Michonne by the waist, molding her to him! His lips found hers and fierce jolt of something, shot through Michonne as she answered his demanding mouth. She slid her arms around his neck and Rick welded their bodies tightly together in response.

Then, just as quickly, Rick released her lips and looked at her.

"I'll consider backing off of the rent demands, if you stay here. If the other Michonne returns, you are free to leave. That also means you're moving Judith and yourself to my cell. Starting tonight. And since you hate Phillip, it won't matter any what you tell him."

Michonne head stopped spinning from the shock of being kissed and held by Evil Rick. She pressed her hands against his chest.

"It's not going to work. I need to leave. Help me find my way out of here." Michonne whispered.

"Do you** WANT** to find your way out of here? Because it doesn't look like you're fighting too hard to get out of my arms, like you do Phillip's. Your sure nothing is going on between my charity loving self and you?"

Now, Michonne pulled out of his embrace! There was no way she could ever want a man that was as bad as the Governor! And 'her' Rick wouldn't be so vulgar.

"What I think, is that we should go back and I should tell everyone the truth." Michonne replied.

Rick smiled.

"Be my guest."

* * *

><p>But when they returned to the prison, things had become unsettled.<p>

Merle had been suspicious of this whole 'Michonne didn't remember shit' mantra. It wasn't that he cared so much for her or the others that had went out on that run. But something about the whole thing smelled. And he could not help but note that Rick would actually be outnumbered on this run.

So he took one of the trucks and found Phillip, Tyrese, Karen and Bob...four useless ass wipes as far as he was concerned, and no Rick or Michonne! He thought about running them down, but Phillip flagged him down, said that Michonne had went crazy and stolen their car. He also said that Rick had took off on foot after her.

That second explanation smelled like bullshit to Merle! Why the hell would Rick take off on foot after someone in a car?

But then Merle decided that he would take them back to the prison, round up Darryl and a few others to torture the truth out of these four! For all he knew Rick and Michonne were dead and they were trying to cover it up!

The plan went awry as soon as they got back and out of the truck. Karen and Bob began throwing up! Merle got way the hell back, while Phillip helped Bob and Tyrese helped Karen, inside. Next thing Merle knew, some of the prison has been quarantined.

Phillip was worried that this 'tornado' or whatever Karen and Bob were saying had got to them, was the cause of this. And that meant Michonne could very well be sick out there alone. He couldn't worry about Rick coming back seeking revenge. Lizzie and Judith could have been exposed. They all could have.

Hershel and Carol were busy tending to the sick. Merle had disappeared into the deeper recesses of the prison, determined not to catch what every one else was getting. He suggested Darryl come with, but his brother was determined to make a run for Hershel and get medicine.

So when Rick and Michonne did return, the news was more than horrifying.

"What the hell happened to you two?" Darryl asked suspiciously. Rick glanced over at Michonne, who was just getting out of the car.

"Nothing that needs to be talked about now." Rick said tiredly. "Where's Merle?"

"Hiding out. Look, Karen and Bob came down with something from that first run. Michonne could be sick as well." Darryl said, his eyes now glittering with suspicion as he looked at Michonne.

Michonne, for her part, wondered if Karen and Bob, and God knows who else(maybe the version of herself that was in another reality) had come down with that illness that had killed so many in her reality, at the prison?

Rick looked from Michonne to Darryl.

"They came down sick as soon as they got back here?" he asked, a bit surprised.

"Yep! Hershel had to quarantine part of the cell block." Darryl revealed.

Beth came running out looking crazed! Darryl and Rick hurried to meet her.

"What is it?" Darryl asked.

"They're now throwing up blood! And Maggie is now feeling kind of sick. She went to talk to Michonne this morning so..." Beth trailed off, her eyes widening. Rick and Darryl turned to see what she was looking at.

Michonne had dropped to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

><p>Rick carried Michonne inside but Phillip wrenched her out of his arms and took over carrying duties! At this point, he didn't care what Rick told people about what happened out there today! And how had Rick and <strong>HIS<strong> wife managed to end up back here together?

Phillip didn't even want to think about it. Hershel suggested that Phillip leave so that he and Carol could help Michonne, but Phillip shook his head.

"I'm staying." he said quietly. Carol walked up to him.

"You need to look out for Lizzie and Judith, okay? They may have been exposed." she told him.

Glenn appeared in the doorway.

"Maggie seems to be resting," he told them, "but I think we need to find out about this 'tornado' or whatever Bob is talking about. Karen seems to be worse off and can't say much."

"I'm sending Darryl and whomever we can spare out on a run. We need antibiotics." Hershel said. "We can't worry about some phantom tornado."

Phillip suddenly left the cell block. He knew he was probably exposing others, but he couldn't think about that right now. He couldn't help but think that Glenn was right. Michonne, Karen and Bob had been three people that went out on a run. Michonne came back half out of her mind and sick. Karen and Bob are sick and now Maggie, after spending some time with Michonne today, is sick.

This 'phantom tornado' was very real. And for all they knew, it could sweep the prison.

He ran into Andrea, who put herself directly in his path.

"Andrea, you need to stay away from me."

"I can't stay away from you, Phillip! I love you! You may not want to hear that but it's true. And I care about Lizzie and Judith."

"Then look out for them while I look after Michonne, okay?" Phillip asked, his eyes pleading.

"You're going to sacrifice yourself for a wife that betrayed you?" Andrea asked in disbelief.

"Didn't we betray her first?" Phillip asked. "Do this for me if you care at all. The last person in the world I want looking after Judith is Rick, okay?"

Andrea nodded sadly. Phillip smiled wanly at her, then turned to walk off back towards the quarantined cell block. She watched his back until he disappeared, then turned to head towards the Blake family cells, when she saw Rick come out with Judith! Lizzie was about to fling herself at his back!

Andrea intervened, holding on to a screaming Lizzie, while yelling at Rick!

"Where are you taking her?!"

Rick turned to stare both of them down.

"My daughter is going to be staying with Carl and me. You can keep this little psycho."

"Stop saying that!" Lizzie yelled. "Judith doesn't belong to you!"

Andrea turned her back on Rick and Judith, and knelt down to talk to Lizzie.

"Lizzie honey, you're going to stay with me. I will get Judith back, okay? But I need for you to pack and go to my cell, okay?"

Lizzie nodded quietly, then turned back to go into her cell and get some things. She wished Andrea was her mother instead of Michonne.

Meanwhile, Andrea stood and turned to face Rick again, but found that he and Judith were gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Rick decided to go along with Darryl to a veterinary college, that would have some of the drugs Hershel required, to help make Michonne, Karen, Bob and Maggie, better again. He was leaving Beth and Carl in charge of Judith. Tyrese reluctantly went along as well, asking Sasha to watch over Karen. Oddly, neither Sasha, Tyrese, Rick or Phillip had come down with this mysterious illness, and they had all been in contact with Michonne or the others. The only other person that had not been afflicted by the 'tornado' was Maggie, and she was just as sick as the others.

Phillip wrenched out a cloth and bathed Michonne's forehead. At one point, her eyes opened and she saw him. She began to squirm away from the cloth and his hands.

"Now, now, Michonne. I know you think you hate me. But it's the fever talking, that's all." he soothed, resting the cloth on her head anyway.

Michonne couldn't process anything. All she could think about was how awful she felt. And where was Rick? Why was this man near her?

Phillip, for his part, was relieved. Michonne had probably been sick this whole time. She hadn't been thinking rationally and had been probably slowly coming down with this. And when she had vomited earlier, he should have gotten her help then.

Michonne reached up to take the cloth off of her forehead.

"I can take care of myself. Just go." she whispered.

"I'm here to look after you. Would you just let me do that?" Phillip asked, not really seeking permission.

Michonne shook her head.

"You killed Andrea." she whispered.

Phillip raised a brow, but pressed the cloth against her forehead again.

"Shhh. What kind of talk is that? Why would I kill Andrea? You're delirious, honey. Just rest."

"Your eye...I put out your eye..." Michonne said weakly.

"Do you see me with one eye? No. My eyes are fine and you didn't do anything to them. Just rest." Philip said again and watched as Michonne's eyes finally closed. Phillip then rose to full height shaking his head.

Glenn walked in looking just as tired as Phillip felt.

"How is she?" he asked quietly.

Phillip looked from his wife, to Glen.

"Delirious and talking a lot of nonsense. How's Maggie?"

"Sick but quiet. You know, I was in with Karen and Bob. They're talking too. About that 'tornado'. They're saying it was wavy. Phillip, when Michonne first came back here, she told me that 'the waves would take her back'. I think we have to consider that something is out there and it made the three of them sick."

Phillip took a deep breath.

"It also caused the others to disappear. Michonne wasn't just with Karen and Bob. Where did everyone else go?"

Glen frowned.

"Didn't they tell you when you found them?"

Phillip looked away. He couldn't tell Glenn that he, Tyrese, Bob and Karen, had tried to kill Rick, and thus, that's why he hadn't gotten any proper information out of Karen and Bob.

"Michonne stole the car. We had other things to worry about." Phillip said tiredly.

"Michonne stole the car? Why?" Glen asked. "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know. But she had not been my Michonne since she came back from that run. Let's hope we can get the medicine in everyone and then find out what other danger is out there." Phillip said.

Michonne's eyes opened again and she looked over at them.

"Get away from the Governor! Get away! Kill him!"

Phillip and Glenn looked at one another. Who was the Governor? Phillip nodded to Glenn.

"You'd best let me handle this. Go and see to Maggie." Phillip said as he sat at the edge of Michonne's cot.

"Michonne? Who are you talking about? Who is this Governor?" Phillip asked. Michonne's eyes began to grow heavy again. Phillip decided talking about their past memories might help the situation.

"Honey, you have to come back to me. We have to try and make things right with one another after what happened. Think about how much you loved me once. Remember the first time we made love? It was in the forest, biter free and..."

Michonne began to feel nauseous again! Phillip could see she was going to be sick(but didn't realize it was his words) and grabbed a bucket, while lifting her head. He actually was relieved to see nothing in the vomit that resembled blood. He then put the bucket on the floor and helped lower Michonne back onto the pillow.

She was asleep again.

Phillip stood up again and stared down at his wife. The Governor. Was this someone she had met on her way back to the prison? Had he tried to kill her?

Phillip Blake had never been a patient man, but he prayed for it now. He would not get any answers until Michonne was well again. And he was hoping that by now, at the very least, Darryl and the others had reached the vet college by now.

* * *

><p>Darryl, Tyrese and Rick had reached the vet school. And it was starting to get dark. All three men were quiet during the drive and Tyrese honestly wondered if Rick and Darryl weren't planning on killing him or leaving him on his own, once they got the antibiotics. He was sure Rick would make him pay for that earlier trouble.<p>

They got out of the truck, keeping an eye out for walkers, while gathering weapons and bags to put supplies in. At one point, Rick told Tyrese to go on ahead and make sure it was clear.

Tyrese didn't move.

"Of course it's not, 'clear'. I can hear growling from here! Why am** I** going ahead?"

Darryl wondered that too but Rick's eye was on Tyrese.

"Because I need to talk to Darryl. Alone. Just go and see if we're going to have to beat them off with a stick as soon as we go inside, **OR** if there's another, clear entrance. Can you do that?" Rick asked in an insulting tone.

Tyrese didn't push it. He was in no position to say much of anything. He fully expected to either not be allowed back in the car after this run, or be told that he and Sasha had to leave the prison tonight.

He turned and headed up towards the building. Darryl watched him for a moment, then faced Rick.

"What's up?"

"I think," Rick said slowly, "that there is something to that story that Karen and Bob were telling. Michonne told me something earlier. I think we need to be on the look out for this wavy tornado that they keep talking about."

"Michonne told you she saw it? Is that why she's been acting crazy?" Darryl asked.

Rick wasn't quite ready to spill the beans on that yet.

"She was in it too. I mean she's sick too so I figured as much."

"Well so did I. Rick, this is what you wanted to tell me alone? What's really going on?" Darryl pressed.

Rick looked and saw Tyrese was no longer within line of sight. He then spoke.

"Once everyone gets well, things are going to be different. Phillip can't stay there. I'm kicking him and Lizzie out. Tyrese too."

Darryl said nothing for a short moment, then spoke.

"I get Phillip and Lizzie. Tyrese I'm not following." he admitted.

"He and Sasha don't have the rent. Sasha isn't willing to sleep with Merle and I'm just tired of the whining about rape, okay? I'm laying down the law, harder than I have before. I want the rent by the end of the month from those Woodbury people and if they're not willing to compromise, then they can get out. And Tyrese and Sasha have both tested my patience." Rick said. He thought he was doing Tyrese a favor, by not explaining that he had thrown in with Phillip and tried to murder him earlier in the day.

"Okay. I'll back your play. Let's get in there, find what we need and leave." Darryl advised. Rick nodded and they headed towards the building.


	7. Chapter 7

Rick, Darryl and Tyrese returned from the vet college without much incident. A few walkers were lurking about in the hallways, but they were promptly shot or stabbed in the head.

Tyrese was surprised he was allowed back in the car. He relaxed. Maybe Rick was too worried about Michonne to take vengeance on him.

He would have been wrong on that score. Rick bided his time on throwing Sasha and Tyrese out. He wanted everyone well so that they could see that he meant business about rent being due when it's due. At the same time, he also wanted to see if this version of Michonne, could 'fuck him' out of throwing people out.

Michonne, Maggie, Karen and Bob did get well, much to most people's relief. Merle didn't give a damn and quietly returned to the common area, once the diseased had been cured.

Michonne took a shower for the first time since her illness, and while wearing a robe, made her way back to her cell with 'Phillip'. It was evening and Rick had turned Judith back over with little fan fare. That made Michonne suspicious, though she could not think as to why. It's just that Rick seemed quiet and things seemed almost like how they had been at the prison in her reality, before the Governor came and messed things up.

She passed by Carl's cell and saw him cleaning a gun. He looked up when he saw her and set the firearm down.

"I'm glad you're better." he called out. Michonne stepped into his cell.

"I'm glad to be better. Thank you for looking after Judith. Rick told me you watched her while he went to get medicine."

"She's my sister. Of course I'm going to look out for her. And Lizzie is crazy." Carl said matter-of-factly. Michonne didn't think that was a smart thing to just run around saying. The first part about Judith being Rick's. But she didn't know what was what in this reality, so she said nothing to that.

Michonne slowly sat down next to Carl on his bunk.

"What do you mean, 'Lizzie is crazy'?"

Carl snorted!

"What she did to dad...and I think she set the fire at Woodbury."

Michonne raised a brow.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because she likes fire. I've tried to tell Andrea and Carol, that she has been stealing people's lighters and getting close to some of the walkers in the blocked off cell blocks. She's been trying to set them on fire to see if they still live. She's crazy." Carl told her.

Michonne nodded.

"I believe you."

"You believe me now?" Carl asked. "Because you didn't when I told you before."

Michonne had nothing to say to that. Clearly, Carl had confided his theory to the other Michonne, who hadn't wanted to hear it, for whatever reason. But there was something about Lizzie, just in the little time she had spent with her, that made her uneasy.

"I had other things on my mind, Carl. I believe you now. You haven't told your father, have you?"

Carl frowned.

"No. Lizzie may be crazy but, Dad can be crazier at times. He'd throw her out of here in a minute. The only reason she's still here is because he listens to you."

Michonne nodded again.

"Okay. I'll take care of it. I think it's time you got off to bed, okay?"

"Will you be in Dad's cell tonight?" Carl asked. Michonne frowned.

"I don't know, Carl. You know, I'm married to someone else."

Carl looked down and nodded.

"Why don't you get ready for bed, okay? I'll bring Judith by to say goodnight." Michonne said, touching his face. She then slowly stood up and left the cell. Lizzie was crazy? Was she crazy in both realities?

Michonne passed by Lizzie's cell but she was not in it. She then walked into the one she shared with the Governor and found him there, putting Judith down. He was wearing that damned robe that needed to be tied tighter.

Michonne cleared her throat and he looked away from Judith and focused on her.

"Finished your shower?" Phillip asked casually. Michonne nodded. She was uncomfortable but for a different reason. She was very well aware that he had nursed her through that illness. And now she felt uncomfortable hating him. He didn't know he was a piece of shit in her reality. Was she being fair to him?

"I never thanked you for taking care of me. When I was sick." Michonne said quietly. "So, thank you."

Phillip walked over to her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Michonne forced herself not to tense up.

"You're my wife, the mother of my child and the woman Iove. Where else would I have been but at your side?" he asked tenderly. Michonne sensed he was going to kiss her and she backed back.

"I'm feeling weak. I'm just going to go to bed. Uh...I forget, do I sleep on the top or bottom bunk?"

Phillip smiled softly at her. He then walked past her and slid the cell door closed! He pulled a key out of his robe pocket and tossed it over on a table!

"We both sleep in the bottom bunk." he said softly. He then reached for her hand and began pulling her towards that bunk!

"Uh...uh...the baby is in here!" Michonne said loudly.

"Honey, she's asleep." Phillip said, now dropping his robe.

Michonne freaked! She ran to the jail door and pressed her face against it.

"**HELP! HELP! JESUS!**" Michonne yelled.

Phillip pulled her away from the door and turned off the light! Bob appeared at the door.

"What's going on up in here?" he asked, slurring his words.

Phillip peered at him.

"You haven't been drinking again, have you, Bob?"

"No! I'm just still weak from being sick. Hey Michonne! That is you, isn't it? It's kind of dark..."

There was a sheet attached to every cell door for privacy. Phillip drew the sheet, then said good night to Bob, before turning to face Michonne.

"Honey, I want you to stop this foolishness, okay? We haven't been together since you went on that run."

"And that was like a couple of days ago," Michonne argued, "I'm just feeling nauseous, that's all. Maybe tomorrow night."

"If I was Rick, would I have to wait until tomorrow night?!" Phillip suddenly snapped.

Michonne realized that unless she got out of here and found that wavy haze, that had brought her here, she was going to have calm the Governor down, by going along to get along.

"Just hold me tonight, 'Phillip', okay?" Michonne asked, trying to keep her tone light. She then got into the bottom bunk.

Phillip just looked at her for a moment before answering.

"You're going to bed in those pajamas? And who's are they anyway?"

"I found them in a laundry basket." Michonne admitted.

"Well take them off. You know we don't sleep with clothing on." Phillip said crossly.

"I feel a chill."

"I'm holding you tonight, Michonne. You won't feel a chill." Phillip said crossly. Michonne slowly took off the pajamas, then quickly got under the blanket, so that the Governor couldn't get too hard a look at her. If he saw the scar that the other Michonne had, was not on her, how would she explain that? At least it was dark.

Phillip moved to get into the bunk beside her. Michonne tensed up, **VERY** uncomfortable with this whole thing! But soon, she could tell he had fallen asleep with his arms around her. Michonne drifted off as well.

* * *

><p>It was still dark when Michonne was awakened by something. She opened her eyes and found Rick pointing a gun at her.<p>

"Let's go. Get up." Rick ordered in a whisper.

Michonne slowly sat up, gently removing the Governor's arms from around her.

"Rick, the baby..."

"Our baby is with Carl. Let's go." Rick repeated.

"I didn't agree to..."

"But you're fucking him?" Rick asked, indicating the Governor.

"No!" Michonne whispered. "He's just holding me."

"Let's go. I'm not going to ask again and I will kill him right now." Rick threatened. Michonne slowly got out of bed and reached for the cat pajamas.

"Leave those. Why are you wearing Andrea's pajamas anyway?" Rick asked. Michonne's eyes widened. Those were Andrea's?

Michonne got up naked and slowly padded out of the cell, followed by Rick, who followed closely behind with his gun. They arrived at his cell and Michonne moved the sheet aside and stepped in.

Rick didn't close the cell door. He just pointed at the bottom bunk. Michonne slowly walked over to it and got in bed. Rick took off all of his clothes and got into bed with her. Oddly, all he did was wrap his arms around her and drift off to sleep, in a spooning fashion. Confused, but also relieved, Michonne fell fast asleep as well until...

She didn't know what had awakened her exactly. But when she tried to turn, she found she was stuck. Then Michonne realized she wasn't 'stuck', it was like she was caught on something.

She then sat up slightly. Good God!

Rick's cock was inside of her! Sometime during the night, Rick had put himself inside of her and held it there? He felt firm and immovable.

"Rick!" Michonne wriggled, twisting and writhing. Rick propped up on one elbow.

"What are you doing?" Rick had the temerity to ask her.

"What am I doing?! You get that out now! Or I'll cry..."

"Rape? Michonne, what happened was an accident. I just accidentally ended up inside of you while we were asleep. Now stop all of that wriggling around and nothing will happen to you. Keep it up and I'll be forced to fuck. It's as simple as that."

"Rick!" Michonne snapped. He actually felt like he was growing!

Suddenly, Phillip burst through the curtain and clicked on a light! Michonne ducked underneath a blanket! Rick smirked at him.

"Michonne, you left our bed for his?" Phillip asked coolly.

"Actually," Rick replied, "I had to force her here by gunpoint. We had an arrangement and I had to insist that she honor it."

"Phillip.." Michonne said, "I'm just laying here. That's it. I'll be back..."

"Lower the blanket then," Phillip insisted, "because I don't get the feeling that nothing is happening down under there."

Rick suddenly released his proprietary, intimate hold on Michonne, and got out of bed, not bothering to cover himself.

"Get the hell out of my cell! Get out now or you can take your crazy daughter, and yourself and leave tonight!" Rick snapped.

Michonne had had enough of all of this shit! She got out of bed, not caring that she was naked and walked up to the men.

"Phillip, come back to our cell. Rick, if he leaves, I'm going with him." Michonne said. Rick stared at her in disbelief! What was this shit? She had said Philip was a bad man in her reality and now she wanted to share a cell with him?

Phillip turned and left the cell without another word. Michonne started to turn to leave but Rick grabbed her arm.

"Don't go back to his bed, Michonne. I'm warning you!"

Michonne suddenly grabbed Rick's face!

"You are 'warning me'? No one warns me, Rick! I'm trying to keep the peace here! You can't throw people out in the middle of the night! I'm leaving!"

Rick's lips suddenly plundered hers, and he tried to pull her towards the bunk. Michonne found herself unable to resist his lips or touch. She had been shocked but not as horrified as she pretended to be, to awaken and find Rick inside of her. But this 'war' could not go on. Not as long as she was trapped here.

Michonne used all of her will power to push him away, before hurrying from his cell and back to the Governor's.

"We're leaving. I won't have that sonofabitch taking you out of here while I sleep!" Phillip growled.

Michonne closed her eyes.

_ See him as Rick._

Michonne opened her eyes and her Rick, the one with the two eyes, the one who was gentle and loving and the one that didn't charge rent, stood before her in a blue robe.

"I mean it! We will find our own place! Someplace safe!" 'Rick' was telling her. Michonne slowly walked up to him, cupped his face within her palms and kissed him soundly on the mouth.

That was all the invitation Phillip Blake needed, as a fierce jolt shot through him and he forgot his anger, to answer her now demanding lips. He pulled her to him, welding their bodies together, then hurriedly moved them both so that Michonne was wedged against a wall.

_ He's Rick. He's not him. He's Rick._

Phillip's mouth continued to hungrily claim hers, while using one of his hands to roughly pull one of Michonne's thighs up and around his backside! He then entered her quickly, and began thrusting within her in rapid succession with machine gun like efficiency!

_Rick. Rick. Not the Governor._

Seeing him as Rick, was the only thing that kept Michonne from screaming into his mouth. It was the only thing that allowed her to relax and enjoy the encounter and it was the only thing she could think to do, to quell this 'middle of the night' war, that had started with another Michonne, that was God knows where right now.


	8. Chapter 8

Phillip was gloriously happy the next morning. Michonne was quiet, but he assumed she was just embarrassed about how loud she had become during their lovemaking the other night.

He ignored the feeling in the back of his mind, that something had been different about Michonne, and yet he couldn't think what. But in this case different had been good.

Michonne walked in to Carl's cell to get Judith, but found that Beth had her. Judith smiled at her, and Michonne realized that it hurt to look at the child. This was not someone that had been in the reality she had come from. This was a person she had made with one of the men she had met during this horrible time in history. This baby actually belonged to her.

"I'll take her Beth. Thank you for looking out for her." Michonne smiled, taking the child from Beth, who did not protest being with her. She hadn't felt like a mother in so long, it still hurt to think about it.

Phillip found her, after showering and dressing for the day. He smiled at the sight. Michonne was starting to come out of, whatever this thing had been that she had been going through.

He touched Judith's little hand, then spoke to his wife.

"Everyone is outside at breakfast. I thought we'd go together." he said, looking at her expectantly. He was still unable to believe that last night had even happened, what with how things had been going lately.

Michonne nodded, and walked with Phillip down the cellblock hallway and out of a side door. She forced herself to concentrate on this baby that she would have to leave when she found her way out of here.

Baby she would be forced to leave.

The thought of it suddenly made Michonne stop in her tracks and hold Judith close. She would have to leave her baby here, wouldn't she? But the other Michonne would be back, right?

Phillip noticed that she stopped and looked at her.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Michonne whispered and they continued their trek to the tables. But as soon as Michonne's eyes met Rick's, she knew she wouldn't be able to eat anything.

And she was right.

Darryl was busy frying some eggs and only certain people were eating them! Merle grinned, licking his fingers, while Glenn slammed down his plate!

"Goddamnit, Rick!" he yelled.

Michonne suddenly looked around. She did not see Sasha, Tyrese or Karen.

"What's happened here?" Phillip asked in a no nonsense tone. Maggie was glaring at Merle, who was being given seconds on eggs. She answered.

"Rick is now deciding who eats around here. Oh and Tyrese, Sasha and Karen were thrown out last night."

Rick ate a piece of toast while Carl picked at his hash browns. Merle eyed the boy.

"Now you eat all of those potatoes! There are starving people in the world. Ain't that right Beth?" he purred. Beth looked away and Hershel spoke his peace.

"Rick, you can't starve people out."

"The people that aren't eating, are the same ones that didn't pay rent. And no one was thrown out. Certain people chose to leave. Michonne knows why people aren't going to get to eat, don't you?" he asked, now looking directly at her.

Michonne handed Judith to Phillip and walked over to Rick's table.

"I want to talk to you. Alone." she whispered.

Rick smiled up at her, then looked at everyone else, before standing up and walking some distance away from the groups of people.

"Stop being an asshole, Rick. What do you want?" Michonne hissed.

"Why do you keep asking me that? I've told you what I want-over and over again."

"And you know good and well, that I'm not the same person here. You haven't asked me anything 'over and over' again." Michonne countered.

"You're a smart woman. And last night should have been all of the clue you needed, as to what I want." Rick told her boldly.

Michonne suddenly began thinking about just what was going on in this twisted triangle, between a version of herself, the Governor and Rick. And it was then that she realized something that should have been pretty obvious all along.

The Michonne that belonged in this world, had chosen the Governor. She had chosen to go back to her husband and child. And when she told this Rick who she really was, he thought he had a chance to renew the relationship she had before with him.

"I heard you two last night," Rick said in a low voice, "and I can't believe you'd let him touch you, after what you said about how he is in the other reality."

"That's just it. He's not the same man. And I did what I did to keep him from doing something stupid. But I see now maybe I should've stayed with you last night, since you're the one that's doing something stupid. Don't do this. Carl is still the same wonderful boy that he is in the other reality. And he's like that because he has a good father. That means you were a good man here once. Be him again and don't starve people." Michonne quietly pleaded.

Rick turned and walked away from her. He went back to his table and looked around at all of the people sitting around with empty plates.

"What are you all still sitting around for? Either get me some rent or you'll go without lunch! The gates are over there! Find me something I like!" Rick almost growled.

Phillip had had it! He handed Judith to Michonne, and then turned to face everyone.

"I'm leaving here with my wife Michonne and my two daughters. We're going back to Woodbury. All of you who came here with Michonne and I, from there, remember how good things were back then. How we were a community. How we were burned out and then forced to come here, hoping to find that same kind of home within these prison walls." Phillip said, as he turned from the people and faced Rick.

"But it wasn't the same, was it, Rick? You were threatened by me from the very beginning. You were threatened by people who followed me and feared you. And you were jealous of Andrea's feelings for me. So you seduced my wife to get back at me, for being with her. And then you confused Michonne by pretending to care about her. You confused Michonne by alleging that our beautiful baby girl was yours."

Phillip turned away from a now smirking Rick, to address the people again.

"We'll rebuild Woodbury. I know it will be hard, but it will be a better life than the one we're living here. Everyone will eat their fill and not have to be bothered with 'rent'. So everyone that is with me, stand now!" he bellowed.

Many people stood up and threw their empty plates to the ground! Some people that had actually been paying rent and were eating, stood and tossed good food on to the ground!

Rick had seen enough of this shit! Merle and Darryl moved to his side.

"Anyone that wants to leave is more than welcome. You have one hour." Rick said, then nodded to Merle and Darryl. They walked back into the prison through a side door. Michonne stared after them suspiciously. They gave up relatively easy, with the exception of giving everyone an hour.

Glenn looked at Maggie.

"I don't trust them. They could be messing with everyone's things right now." he told his wife.

Bob, who was going to stay, scraped his plate and looked around for more. There were hashbrowns sitting on a tray two tables away. Other people that had been denied food, walked over with their plates to sneak food as well. Meanwhile, Andrea hurried inside just to see what Rick, Merle and Darryl were up to. And sure as shit, they were going through the cells and taking people's things!

She walked up to Rick.

"What the hell are you doing? Robbing people so that everyone leaves with nothing?" she asked coldly.

Rick dropped a duffle bag that belonged to God knows who, and faced her.

"You know, you've been damned lucky. Lucky that I kept my mouth shut about you."

Darryl eyed her from a distance as well, something Merle noticed.

"What's going on?" Merle asked. "What do you know?"

Darryl tore his eyes off of Rick and pulled his brother even further from them.

"When Lori gave birth, Andrea and Maggie helped. Maggie came out crying about how Lori and the baby died. You remember that day...we were fighting off walkers and couldn't get to them right away. Rick and I went running back in and Rick got waylaid. When I got to them, Lori and the baby were dead and Andrea was kicking their bodies with her foot, towards a group of walkers. Rick came shortly after and saw it too."

Merle raised a brow as his mind tried to process this.

"So," Merle said slowly, "walkers were closing in on you all and she kind of gave them Lori, so that you all could get away?"

Darryl gave Merle a WTF look!

"Yeah, right! She did it because she hated Lori and wanted Rick all to herself."

"Darryl the woman was dead! She would have already had that! I mean I get what the problem is. That was some cold shit!"

"All Andrea had to do was run. I just didn't like what I saw and Rick sure as hell didn't like it either! I also think Rick didn't half believe Maggie that the baby had been dead. I don't know, but Rick did not want Andrea's ass here anymore after that. And I don't know what everyone else would think if they heard that story." Darryl told Merle.

Meanwhile, Andrea and Rick had begun arguing.

"I panicked, okay? I was shocked that Lori and the baby had died and I just panicked."

"Shocked but not sad, hey? Look, I don't want to talk about that ever again. You take your boyfriend and his crazy daughter and get the hell out of my prison." Rick said in a low voice.

Andrea folded her arms.

"My 'boyfriend', will be wanting to take his other daughter and wife out of here as well. Will they be free to go?"

"What do you care? If I don't allow it, you can have Phillip all to yourself. And by the way, that fucking shirt your wearing was Lori's. Don't think I don't know that."

"Why are you acting as if our affair was one sided? Lori slept with Shane, got pregnant by him and you couldn't be civil to her one day! You added to the stress of her pregnancy, she gave birth to a dead baby and died herself! You are not completely blameless! And you had no business throwing me out of here!"

"I want my wife's shirt back. Leave it before you take off." Rick said coldly.

"Here!" Andrea yelled, pulling the shirt over her head and throwing it at Rick. She then walked off in nothing but a bra and jeans. Merle licked his lips. Jesus! It had always been a shame that she had her rent on time!

Andrea then walked outside and everyone could see she was clearly missing a shirt. Maggie and Beth hurried over to her and someone came up with a blanket. Michonne stared over at them, then looked around.

What the hell was she doing here? She was getting caught up in this drama, that's what! Judith was not her baby. Not really. Phillip was not her husband and this was not her life. She needed to find that portal and in order to do that, she had to leave this prison. Alone.

"I'll be back." Michonne said to Phillip, but he reached out to grab her arm, while still holding Judith.

"Michonne, don't confront him."

"I'm not going to confront him. There's an extra pacifier in our cell. Judith likes the green one better."

"Leave it. We'll go in together and gather up our things." Phillip said. "And if there's nothing left, so be it. I'd rather walk out of here with nothing but the clothes on our back, than deal with Rick Grimes ever again."

Michonne looked from Phillip and Judith, to Andrea. From the way she had been looking over there, they might not be able to leave with that!

"I have to go in. I'll be back." Michonne said and walked away from him. She walked past Andrea, Maggie and Beth, who stared after her. It was as if everyone knew why Michonne was going inside and who she was going to see.

When Michonne did get to the cellblock, she could see that Rick, Darryl and Merle were rifling through people's things. Rick caught a glimpse of her from the hallway and walked down to her cell. He frowned when he saw her packing.

"Judith isn't leaving here. You know that, don't you?" Rick asked. Michonne stopped packing and faced him.

"I don't know where Judith is going. I'm leaving alone. You know I don't belong here. Judith is not really my baby and I have no life here. I need to find that portal and leave."

She then turned away from him and continued packing. For one. Rick finally realized she was serious and walked over to her.

"Don't do this." he said quietly. Michonne stopped packing again and confronted him.

"The only way I was able to have sex with Phillip was to pretend he was you. I can't continue to do that. I had a son once. His name was André and his death left me so twisted...I still can't talk about it. I am not Judith's mother. Not really and I can't afford to get attached. Now leave me alone. I'm packing and leaving out of the side door."

Rick put his hands on her shoulders and pressed hard.

"No one has to leave. And no one will starve, okay? You're not thinking rationally. We'll straighten this out."

"I don't want to straighten anything out. I want to leave." Michonne replied quietly.

"I'll help you find that wavy portal thing, okay? But you can't go hunting for anything after being sick like you were. Just stay and rest. I'll talk to Phillip." Rick said. Michonne stared at him. He was like the real Rick right now. And that meant that she trusted him.

She nodded and set aside the stuff she was packing. She gave him one last lingering look, then proceeded to head back outside.

But before she could step foot out doors, she heard someone screaming her name.

Actually, everyone did.


	9. Chapter 9

Phillip handed Judith off to Lizzie while he, Glenn, Andrea and Hershel made their way to the gated fence with weapons. A man that looked vaguely familiar to Phillip was yelling Michonne's name!

"**MICHONNE**!" the dark haired man screamed. He then peered at Phillip as he approached. The man stabbed an approaching walker or two every so often.

"Hey!" the man called out in a bright, cheery tone to Phillip. "How's it going?"

It was then, that Phillip realized who he was. Or who he thought he was.

"You're Michonne's ex boyfriend, right? Grant or..."

"Actually it's Gareth. Is Michonne around? And even if she isn't, could you kind of let me in because these creatures here are sort of ganging up on me..."

"What do you want, Grant?" Phillip asked in a no nonsense tone. He had met Michonne as he and Lizzie were headed towards a place called 'Terminus'. There had been signs everywhere claiming that the place offered sanctuary.

Michonne had been coming from Terminus and told them the place was full of creeps and not to go. So he, Michonne and Lizzie had turned in another direction, got to know one another and eventually, through hard work and planning, built up Woodbury.

This Grant, Garth...whoever, had paid Woodbury a visit once. But Phillip could see that his visit had upset Michonne, so he was thrown out. How had he found Michonne anyway?

"Again, it's Gareth," Gareth said sarcastically, now looking at Andrea "and I really need to talk to Michonne. Hey, aren't you the slut that was banging Phillip here at Woodbury? I can't believe Michonne stayed with you after that."

Phillip's jaw clenched.

"Michonne told you about that?"

"Actually, I told Michonne about it. When I visited that one time, I saw the two of you doing some quickie bullshit near a tree. And I thought Michonne had a right to know."

Andrea cocked her gun at him, but Hershel put her hand down.

"Michonne and Phillip are married now, son." he said kindly, "so if you've come to cause trouble..."

"Married, how? Most men of the cloth are dead, aren't they? Or was this some fake shit you made up? Listen, if you could just let me in **OR** get Michonne..."

Meanwhile, Michonne, Rick, Merle and Darryl had opened a window and were listening from the prison. Rick looked at Michonne.

"**WHO** is he?" he asked her.

Michonne could see that Merle and Daryl were staring at her curiously as well.

"I don't know." she admitted. Merle rolled his eyes.

"What the fuck do you mean, you don't know?" he asked suspiciously.

"He knows you." Darryl asked in the same suspicious tone.

"I don't know him!" Michonne snapped. "I don't! I don't know him."

Rick looked from Michonne to Merle and Darryl.

"Go outside and back up Phillip and the rest of them. If this guy gets out of line, either let the walkers get him or put a bullet through his head."

Merle and Darryl nodded, then left the cellblock.

"You don't remember him at all?" Rick asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't know him! The other Michonne probably does! I have never seen him before!"

"See the problem I'm having here, is that you seem to know everyone **ELSE** here! You swear to me that you don't know him!" Rick demanded.

Instead, Michonne suddenly grabbed his face kissed him hard, her lips devouring his! She didn't know what had come over her. Maybe it was the jealously he was displaying while he was wearing that eyepatch, but suddenly, Michonne just didn't want to talk anymore about anything!

Rick's lips answered with hungry kisses that blended one into the other, before securing his arms around her and pulling her to the floor.

* * *

><p>"Michonne says she doesn't know you." Merle said, pointing a gun at Gareth through the fence.<p>

"So I guess you'd better get on before you die." Darryl seconded.

"Look," Gareth said tiredly, "some deviants came and ran us out of our camp. We managed to get away in a bus and take the barbecue we had been feeding people with, with us. The bus is like a mile back and we have more than enough of meat."

Merle's eyes opened wide and he licked his lips! Darryl raised a brow. Who the fuck manages take barbecue and nothing else in an escape situation?

Phillip wasn't buying it at all.

"So you're trying to bribe your way in here with barbecue?" Phillip asked skeptically.

"I'm just trying to tell you that we have something to offer. There's like twelve of us left." Gareth said, his tone now pleading. "I really need to see Michonne."

"I'll go and get her." Andrea said. She lowered her gun, holstered it and then turned go into the prison. She was delayed a bit by Maggie and Carol, who wanted to know just what was going on.

"Phillip says that guy is Michonne's old boyfriend. Apparently, she lived with him at some place called 'Terminus'."

"Terminus? That's a what? A town like Woodbury?" Carol asked.

Andrea shrugged.

"I guess. This guy seems like a trouble maker. And either a walker or Merle or Darryl, is going to kill him. Maybe if Michonne gets out here and tells him off, he'll go away." Andrea said.

Meanwhile, in the Blake cell on the bottom bunk, Michonne gently swiveled herself down on Rick's turgid length, inch by inch. Rick's voice was soft and encouraging, until she managed to seat herself completely on to Rick's swollen manhood.

By the time Andrea came in and found them, Michonne had leaned backwards on her hands, and began a steamy rhythm of bouncy gallops upon him. Her breasts were bobbing shamelessly in front of Rick's eyes and at one point, Andrea watched as he seized them within his hands and pushed and pulled them apart!

Andrea backed back and leaned against a wall! Did she dare interrupt that? And at the same time she felt anger. But not on behalf of Phillip. Rick looked just..just...**ENCHANTED** at being fucked by Michonne! He had never looked like that when she was with him!

Andrea's mouth pursed into a grim line. She then left the wall and walked into the cell block until she stood outside of the tell tale cell. Rick saw her first.

"Shit!" he snapped. Michonne stopped moving and tried to get off of Rick, but his hands tightened on her waist as he glared at Andrea.

"Do you want something?" he asked his eye piercing hatefully at her.

"Rick, let me off!" Michonne hissed.

"The hell I will! We're not finished! Andrea get the hell out of here and..."

"Look at you two!"Andrea yelled. "Michonne's boyfriend is out there causing trouble and you two are screwing like rabbits!"

"We were about to come out there and handle it." Rick replied "I'd appreciate it if you would leave here and keep your damned mouth shut!"

"I'm leaving here with Phillip so I have no intention of keeping quiet about anything." Andrea replied, her manner frosty.

Michonne really didn't need any trouble! She turned her head towards Andrea.

"Andrea, there are things you don't understand. I'm not the same Michonne. I can't explain it, but you have to trust that I never meant to hurt anyone." she told her.

"Then get of off Rick and let's all leave here! Tell your boyfriend to leave us alone so we can pack and leave this place!" Andrea countered.

Rick suddenly reached up and turned Michonne's face so that she had to look down at him again.

"Pretend she's not there. It's you and me, Michonne. Like it's always been." he said softly. Rick then proceeded to buck his length slowly within her until together, they worked themselves into a feverish rhythm that seemed to be never ending.

Or ar least that's how it looked to Andrea, as she watched the raw sex act helplessly, She slowly sank to the floor and closed her eyes, remembering what it was like to be taken by Rick Grimes in such a primal way.

Andrea passed out briefly.

When she awoke, Rick and Michonne were dressed and staring at her from outside of a cell! Rick had dragged her into an empty cell and locked her in!

"Hey!" Andrea snapped. "You let me out of here!"

"I don't know why the hell you would be passed out from our fucking, but whatever your problem is, you're staying in here." Rick said coolly. Michonne tried to be a little more civil.

"Andrea, just wait here. When I get rid of this man, then we can deal with what happened." Michonne said softly. She then turned and walked off. Rick and Andrea's eyes locked on one another, before he turned and followed Michonne out of the cellblock to deal with Gareth.


	10. Chapter 10

Michonne could feel everyone staring at Rick and herself, as if they knew they had been doing something illicit inside just now.

Maggie approached them.

"Where is Andrea? She went to get you."

"She's napping. Maybe Glenn and you should start packing." Rick said boldly, as he continued to follow Michonne towards the gate. Phillip turned and saw them. He could just feel that something had happened between them, but he shook the thought from his mind. Michonne was committed to him, as she proved last night.

Michonne thought that maybe she'd recognize this guy as she moved closer to the fence, but honestly, she had never seen him before in her life!

Gareth smiled with relief!

"Hey, Michonne! You're looking well."

Michonne smiled wanly and glanced over at Phillip, who could see she looked confused. Michonne then moved closer to the gate.

"Uh, I had an accident and I kind of lost part of my memory. I'm not really sure who you are." she told him.

Phillip looked more shocked than Gareth!

"What do you mean you don't remember him? I thought you were feeling better." Phillip asked, touching her forehead. Michonne kind of brushed his hands off of her face.

"I am but there are some things I just don't remember still." Michonne answered, turning from him and back to Gareth. Gareth now looked at Phillip.

"What accident, Phillip? One that you caused or..."

Phillip pointed his gun at Gareth's head! Michonne reached up and pulled his hand down.

"Look, I don't remember you. I'm sure this amnesia is temporary. Why don't you tell me why you're here?"

"Can I do it on the other side of the gate?" Gareth asked in a sing song voice. Michonne looked over at Rick.

"Rick, please, can we let him in so I can find out what he wants and send him on his way?"

Rick didn't answer at first. This guy just didn't seem like Michonne's type. It's not like he knew what her type was, but he suspected it was not a guy like this. He just couldn't really see Michonne being with him.

"Let him in." Rick said, now more suspicious than curious. The gate was opened and Gareth hurried through it and reached down to wipe off of his jeans before standing to full height again.

"Wow! That was close! Michonne, a hug?"

Rick got in between the two of them.

"No. Now tell me who you are and why you're here?"

Gareth looked around at everyone before going into his story.

"Our camp was attacked by some pretty depraved people. We barely got out of there alive. Many of us didn't. We then went to Woodbury looking for help but I saw that either the same people got to your town or something happened! Anyway, now we're here."

"How did you know Michonne was here?" Phillip asked.

"Well we picked up some people who claimed they had been thrown out of here for non payment of rent. That's why I'm offering the barbecue, for starters." Gareth said solemnly.

Merle's eyes lit up!

"Barbecue? You actually have barbecue?" he asked, greed evident in his tone.

"Yeah. A lot of beef." Gareth replied now looking at Michonne. "You really remember nothing? Nothing at all about Terminus?"

"No." Michonne answered. "I'm sorry."

"**NOTHING** at all? No memories whatsoever?"

Michonne got the very distinct impression, that her 'amnesia' was just fine with him! She looked over at Phillip.

"What did I tell you about him?" she asked quietly.

Phillip shrugged, but he was skeptical of Gareth as well.

"You never wanted to talk about him. And you were uneasy when he showed up at Woodbury." he admitted.

"Now, Phillip," Gareth drawled, "that is not true. Michonne and I had a very amicable break up and she was actually happy to see me looking well."

"I think you're saying that because you know my wife can't remember otherwise. It was nice seeing you, Gareth. Now I think you should take your barbecue and go." Phillip told him.

"Hey!" Merle snapped. "You don't run anything around here! I want to see some of this barbecue he's offering! And it's only twelve people."

There were murmurs that echoed through the crowd, that this little spectacle had attracted. Rick nodded.

"Okay, this is how things are going to go: Merle and a couple of other men are going with you, Grant..."

"It's Gareth." Gareth said a little tiredly.

"As far as I'm concerned you're Mr. Barbecue. But if you're fucking with us and there isn't any cue, than you're a dead man. And the people that you picked up that didn't pay rent around here, don't come with."

Gareth licked his lips.

"That's fair."

"I know it is," Rick said, "**AND**, your people will have to pay rent. So unless you've got an endless supply of barbecue or you can find me something else to pay with, you'll have to leave if you can't pay."

Michonne noticed that Gareth looked around at everyone, almost as if he was counting.

"I think I will be able to definitely come up with an endless supply of barbecue. I've noticed that there are a lot of animals in the nearby woods."

Darryl glanced at Merle, who suddenly frowned.

"We haven't noticed anything of the kind," Darryl said, "and Merle and I are about the best hunters here."

"Well maybe they're just hiding from you." Gareth said cutely, then reached out to pull Michonne aside away from Phillip and Rick.

"I'm sorry that you don't remember anything, but when you do, I hope you'll be on board. Also, do you still have your sword? It was really handy."

"Be on board for what, Gareth?"

"To really become one with the community and with me. Or maybe not with me, considering your supposedly married to Phillip here. But really, Michonne, I mean weddings aren't exactly legal these days. You're not **REALLY** married to him."

Michonne didn't quite know what do say. She felt as if this man didn't really have romantic designs on her, but for some reason he wanted her to belong with his group? Had this man really been an old boyfriend? Or just someone she knew from another group the other Michonne had hung out with before Woodbury?

Her gut was telling her to tell Rick to forget the barbecue and not let this man in. But it was barbecue. And everyone seemed to be in such good spirits at just the idea of it.

And she was not planning on staying here anyway.

"Why don't you go on with Rick and the others." was all Michonne said. Gareth nodded in response, and he walked over to Rick and some of the others, to plan the trek back to his people.

"I'm worried about you." Phillip said suddenly. Michonne focused on him.

"I'm fine. It's just..."

"It's just that you don't remember someone you should. Maybe I pushed you too far last night?" Phillip asked.

"No." was all Michonne said, looking away from him. Phillip reached out and turned her face back so that she was facing him.

"Maybe Rick pushed you just now?" he asked. Before Michonne could answer, Phillip shook his head.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter. I think we should still leave. Right now. What Rick does here with Garth..."

"Gareth." Michonne corrected him.

"Gareth, is his business," Phillip said, "his being here will only add to our problems."

"Phillip, no one is leaving here knowing there is barbecue coming. Let's just wait and eat and then leave okay?" Michonne asked quietly. Phillip nodded and she could not keep him from giving her a quick kiss, before he turned and walked off to find Lizzie and Judith. Michonne looked around until her eyes rested on Rick, who was already staring at her.

Now, how to keep from leaving even after eating barbecue, was Michonne's latest problem. Or so she thought.


	11. Chapter 11

It was Lizzie and Carl that found Andrea trapped inside a cell.

"Oh thank God! Lizzie, go and get Hershel! He has spare keys!" Andrea cried out. But Carl grabbed Lizzie's arm and twisted it, causing her to scream!

"Stop it, Carl!" Lizzie cried out.

"Stop it, Carl! Let her go!" Andrea yelled. But Carl stared at her as hatefully as Rick had just done.

"Who put you in there?" Carl asked calmly. He still had a hard grip on Lizzie's arm.

"Carl let go of Lizzie. You're hurting her." Andrea said in a calm, low tone. Carl suddenly released Lizzie and she jerked away, rubbing her arm. She then went from glaring at Carl, to looking at Andrea.

"Carl's father put you in there, didn't he? I'll get you out!" Lizzie exclaimed and ran off in search of Hershel. But Carl did not move.

"Did my father put you in here?" Carl asked.

Andrea sighed and turned away.

"It's okay. I know he did. Probably for what you did to my mom."

Now Andrea turned back to stare down at him.

"I did not kill your mother."

"But my father thinks you did. And I know my mother didn't like you." Carl told her.

Andrea really didn't want to get into all of that now! And she was quite relieved when Lizzie returned with Phillip and Hershel!

"What happened?" Phillip asked. "Lizzie said that Rick locked you in here?"

Hershel said nothing as he took out a key and unlocked the cell. Andrea immediately threw herself into Phillip's arms! Both Lizzie and Carl smiled at the sight, but for different reasons.

Lizzie thought it meant that her father was leaving Michonne for Andrea.

Carl thought it meant that things were bad between Michonne and Phillip, and she would be back with his father soon.

"Now, now, you're fine. What happened? Rick locked you in here, didn't he?" Phillip asked. Andrea glanced at Carl and Lizzie, then looked at Hershel.

"Hershel, I need to speak to Phillip alone. Could you take the kids?"

"I'm not a kid," Carl said, "and you just want to be here with Phillip so you can lie on my dad. If he put you in here he probably had to. For all we know she's been bitten."

Phillip suddenly eased away from her. He pulled Lizzie back as well.

"Were you bitten?" Hershel asked quietly.

"No! Do you really think Rick would've just locked me in a cell if he thought I was going to turn? He would've killed me on the spot! Phillip, I need to speak to you alone! And what I have to say shouldn't be heard by children." she said insistingly.

"I think I should know if you're planning on talking about my father behind my back!" Carl said hotly.

"Your father sucks!" Lizzie suddenly piped up. "That's what Andrea is going to tell Daddy!"

Phillip turned to Hershel.

"Do me a favor and take the kids back outside."

"Daddy!" Lizzie whined. But Phillip bent down to talk to her.

"Honey, you like Andrea, don't you? Then be nice and let her tell me what she has to say alone. And be nice to Carl. He can't help what his father is."

Carl rolled his eyes, but went along with Hershel willingly, as he pushed him and Lizzie out of the cellblock. Once alone, Phillip turned back to Andrea.

"Okay. Everyone is gone. Why did Rick lock you in here? You aren't infected are you?"

"Oh my God! I would kill myself before I'd infect anyone willingly! You have to know that!"

"I'm sorry. Of course I know that, I don't know...it's just this man showing back up here is just rattling me. Michonne and I are finally in a good place."

"No. No Phillip, you aren't! Rick and Michonne locked me in here. They locked me in that cell to keep me from telling you what I saw." Andrea breathed heavily.

Phillip took a deep breath himself.

"That doesn't sound like Michonne."

"Phillip! Jesus, the two of them were in your bed going at it! Michonne was hopping up and down on him like a bionic rabbit or something! And when I caught them, neither one of them was sorry! I threatened to go to you and that's how I ended up in here."

Phillip stared at her for a moment before answering.

"So they stopped what they were doing, subdued you and locked you in that cell? I mean if the act took place like you're saying then you had time to get away..."

"It happened so fast! I know I should have had time to get away! I still don't understand how they both grabbed me! I was really frightened, Phillip! I mean they could have sicced a walker in here on me or anything! Don't you see? Michonne and you are not in a good place. You're not back together. And if that Gareth guy is allowed in here, that will be just one more thing that will keep Michonne and yourself apart. Let's leave here like you announced."

"Gareth is bringing barbecue, Andrea," Phillip said gently, "and no one will come with us willingly until they've had their fill. Maybe we can even convince Rick to let us take some on the road with us, when we leave for Woodbury."

Andrea gaped at him!

"Did you hear what I said? Michonne and Rick..."

"Andrea, honey, what you saw was probably a rape. I could sense something might have happened between the two of them, but now you're confirming it. I'll speak to my wife and see what she has to say. But very gently. I'm sure she's traumatized."

"Oh my God, Phillip! I told you she was on top! And she was very willing!"

"That's because that's what you wanted to believe. I know I hurt you when I made the decision to make my marriage to Michonne work. I know I hurt Lizzie when I chose Michonne over you, because she sees you like a mother. But if you are going to come to Woodbury with us, you have to understand that there is no us. And I am hurt that you couldn't support Michonne after her trauma."

"I was locked in a cell." Andrea said sarcastically.

"I know and I'm sorry. I mean that makes sense. Rick didn't want you saying anything about his raping my wife. But I'm afraid he will have to answer for this." Phillip said, turning and walking off. Now Andrea was not only shocked, but uneasy. Either Phillip had convinced himself that Rick had raped Michonne because he couldn't deal with the idea of her willingly being with him again, or he** REALLY** believed that and he was planning on doing some real harm to Rick.

"Oh God!" Andrea muttered, as she hurried after Phillip.

* * *

><p>Rick and Merle were just taking off with Gareth in search of his camp and the 'barbecue', when Phillip began firing at their tail lights before the gate could be closed! The car screeched to a stop and Rick, who had been driving got out, along with Merle and Gareth.<p>

"Do you have some kind of problem?" Rick asked coolly.

"I have a problem with your raping my wife, Rick! I have a problem with your raping my wife, other women in this prison, charging rent when people have nothing and starving people out!"

Michonne, once again passed Judith off to someone else, and hurried over to run interference!

"Phillip, stop this! Rick did not rape me!"

Phillip looked from Rick, who he was still aiming his gun at, to Michonne.

"You don't know what you're saying, honey. You're traumatized."

Michonne moved so that she was blocking his aim.

"No, I'm not. Please put down the gun so we can talk about this." she pleaded softly.

"So the witness to the rape is lying?" Phillip challenged.

"If you mean Andrea, hell yeah, Phillip, she's lying!" Rick yelled. "Now can we go?"

Phillip's response was to shoot Rick! He meant to shoot his cock off, but when Michonne tried to grapple for the gun, his aim went a little high and he got him in the arm!

"**SONOFABITCH**!" Rick screamed. Merle hurried over to him while Gareth rolled his eyes! He couldn't believe the drama going on in this prison!

Hershel made his way to Rick, while Merle and Darryl beat down Phillip, then dragged him back inside the prison. Michonne stared after them in shock, then hurried over to Hershel and Rick.

"How bad is it?" Michonne asked.

"A flesh wound. But he can't go anywhere. It wouldn't be wise." Hershel cautioned. Michonne nodded.

"I'll go with Gareth."

Rick shook his head.

"Not alone! You don't know him!"

Hershel frowned. Michonne didn't remember Gareth, is what Rick meant, right? Her not knowing him was completely different.

Michonne reached for Rick's hand and he grasped hers hard!

"Take Darryl or Merle with you! Something about this doesn't seem right!" he hissed through his pain.

"Uh, is someone coming with me or what?" Gareth asked sarcastically. Michonne pulled her hand from Rick's.

"I'm going. And I'll drive." Michonne told Gareth. Because once they got to where Gareth and the others were, she planned to find the wavy portal again. Alone and on foot. If she stayed here one more day, Rick and Phillip would end up killing one another.


	12. Chapter 12

Michonne didn't want to wait around for Merle, Darryl or anyone else to come on this run with her and Gareth. Because she had no intention of coming back. And she didn't want any trouble from anyone about it.

Things were about as bad as they could get. She was married to the Governor in this reality and had been forced to have sexual relations with him. And the only way she had managed to get through the demonic act, was by fantasizing that the Governor was Rick.

Andrea was a jealous bitch and had slept with both Rick and the Governor.

Rick was a sexy bastard in this reality. Hell, Michonne didn't even think the Governor would've charged rent at Woodbury!

She had a baby that she prayed was Rick's and not really the Governor's. And yet, the Governor in this reality, seemed like he could offer a more stable life for Judith than Rick.

And now this Gareth guy had come into their lives, claiming to have known her from before. Michonne could not help but think about something Rick had said before, about how she knew everyone else here, so why didn't she know Gareth?

She was about to find out the answer to that. And it was even more fucked up than everything else that had happened here so far.

Michonne had driven about two miles from the prison, when Gareth pulled out a gun! Michonne rolled her eyes!

"No one searched you for weapons?" she asked with disgust.

"Yes."

"Oh please! Neither Rick, Merle or Darryl would've missed a gun."

"Yeah well I had it someplace they couldn't find it." Gareth said casually.

"Do I even want to know what that means?"

"No." Gareth said shortly. "Now pull into the woods there. There is a gravel trail."

Michonne did as instructed and gently drove the car over a lot of gravel, until she could see a small fire up ahead. There was a bus next to some kind of campfire. As Michonne drove closer, she could see Tyrese, Sasha and Karen, hogtied on the ground!

"What is this?" Michonne asked, stopping the car.

"What does it look like? Your friends that Rick threw out of the prison, ran into us and we now have our own plans for them." Gareth said. "Now get out."

"Who's us?" Michonne asked, getting out. She then hurried over to the trio and knelt down beside them.

"Michonne, get out of here!" Tyrese growled.

"There's some bitch in there that looks exactly like you, only with a perm!" Sasha told her. Karen was sobbing. Michonne slowly stood to full height. Someone that looked like her was in that beat up looking bus?

An older woman stepped off of the bus, gaping at Michonne! She then walked over to Gareth.

"I hope you know what you are doing." she said, before turning to Michonne.

"I'm Mary."

Michonne said nothing as her eyes moved from Mary's, to the actual fire. It smelled odd. And when she moved closer, she saw what looked like a human ear! Michonne immediately pulled out her sword!

"What is that you're burning?! Answer me now! Is that the 'barbecue'?!"

"Yes." another voice answered.

Michonne looked around Mary. A woman that looked exactly like her, only wearing her hair in a perm, stepped off of the bus. She smiled merrily at Michonne.

"Hey! I'm Monet and in this 'universe' we're twins. Or I was the twin of the other Michonne, my sister. That's actually her in the fire there."

Michonne gasped and peered into the fire! She did see tell tale braids burning! What the fuck?

This was the Michonne that belonged at the prison. She hadn't been swept away by that wavy portal. She had been captured by these fucks right here! And yet...

Michonne turned away and slowly walked over to Karen. She pointed her sword at her throat.

"Hey, Michonne!" Tyrese screamed. "What are you doing?!"

"The others never went through that wavy portal, did they? Bob and you knew the others had been killed and eaten, didn't you?" Michonne asked in a calm tone.

"Uh no," Monet interrupted, "they didn't. And my sister was actually in the wavy thing. It passed by our camp but didn't come close to us. But it spit my sister out and I just thought 'wow, I'm looking to see my sister again and here she is, spit it out by a wavy portal'!" Monet beamed.

Michonne noticed that 'Monet' had a prissy, cutesy way of talking that reminded her of some politician, but at the moment, she couldn't recall who it was. Michonne took her sword off of Karen's neck and now pointed it at her 'sister'.

"I don't have any siblings." Michonne said. "And whatever you think you're up to, you can forget it. There will be people looking for me..."

"Yes, dear, I know. And that's why when I go back to the prison as you, no one there will ever know the difference. Isn't that right, baby?" Monet cooed to Gareth, who growled and kissed her hard! Michonne noted that Mary looked away when they did that. She then looked into the fire again. Poor Judith. And Phillip and Rick...

"So your plan is to what? Go to the prison and kill everyone there and cook them?" Michonne asked sarcastically. She was quickly appalled when Monet and Gareth quickly nodded!

"Look," Gareth began explaining, "we didn't know you existed until we picked up those three over there. I mean we thought we had killed Michonne and then Tyrese mentioned you as soon as he saw Monet. We figured that wavy thing had to have brought another Michonne here. The point really is this: food is already scarce. And there is no way that certain members of the executive branch, are dead. Believe me, the big wigs are in a bunker someplace eating steak! Only steak is probably becoming scarce as well."

"And," Monet added, "a new type of food will be necessary. We plan to sell our 'barbecue' as a new invention. We'll get rich and..."

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Michonne snapped. "And there is no way someone as stupid as you, is related to me! No way in hell!"

Monet back handed her, almost shoving her back into the fire where the other Michonne was charring! Michonne managed to upright herself before that happened. Monet suddenly walked up on her.

"I don't care what you think. I didn't care what **SHE** thought back at Terminus. Now unless you want your friends over there to be sliced and diced in front of your very eyes, you will tell me what I need to know, so that no one suspects that I am not you!"

Tyrese suddenly gasped from the ground. Sasha and Karen looked over in the direction he was staring in as did Mary.

The wavy portal was moving their way! Monet and Gareth were too transfixed by the sight of it, to notice when Michonne ran from them and jumped through it!

As soon as Michonne jumped into the portal, it began to recede from their campsite.

"**NOOOOO**!" Monet screamed. "Gareth, we need her! I need her clothing! I can't pass for that bitch if I don't look something like her!"

Meanwhile, Michonne found herself on the porch of a house, looking in through a window and seeing Rick and Carl inside. She began to knock but the events of the last two minutes wouldn't let her do it.

Judith was about to be eaten in that other reality, along with everyone else. And no one deserved a fate like that. No one.

Michonne turned and saw the wavy portal receding. She took a deep breath and ran down the stairs and chased it, until she managed to leap through it again. What she did not realize, was that she had made noise running down the steps. Rick had opened the door and had seen her disappear through the wavy haze.


	13. Chapter 13

When Michonne reappeared in the alternate reality, she was unsure of where she actually was! She stood in the middle of a road and at one point she used her sword to effortlessly lop off the heads of three walkers. But as she looked in each direction, she was unsure of which direction the prison was in.

It was then that she began to wonder, if she was even back to the same reality? Michonne looked in both directions, then decided to head into the woods. Maybe she could find a trail through there.

Meanwhile, Monet was panicking inside the bus! Gareth was doing his best to calm her down but even he knew, that their chances of pulling off an impersonation of Michonne, without some clues as to what her place was at the prison, could make for a difficult deception.

"Honey," Gareth said soothingly, rubbing her shoulders, "we knew it would be dicey pulling off the hair thing. I mean how are you going to explain where your braids went?"

"I'll just tell them I decided to comb them out or something!"

"Yes but everyone saw the other Michonne leave with me, wearing braided hair!"

"Gareth what do you want me to say? The point was to kill her and scalp those braids off so that I could wear them! Well she's not here and time is running out! We're supposed to return with barbecue and people. And all we have is your damned mother and my charred sister. Do you have the sauce?"

"Mom has it and really Monet, I don't like your tone. My mother is loving woman."

Monet raised a brow.

"Yes well we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. Maybe I could get one of those three out there to tell me what I need to know. I'll offer one of them their freedom if they tell me all about Michonne." Monet said. She then moved past Gareth and walked down the bus stairs. The other Michonne's body had been taken off of the spit and was now being cut with a saw by some other brute! Sasha and Karen were screaming and crying and Tyrese had his eyes shut.

Monet knelt down next to Karen and stroked her hair.

"Hello, dear. Listen, we're headed back to the prison and I've decided that one of you will not end up on a spit, if you tell me some things about Michonne. Like what her husband is like? Is that baby of hers still in diapers? Uh..you know anything at all that might help."

"Fuck you, bitch!" Sasha snapped. "Karen, don't tell her a damned thing!"

Karen twisted her head to glare at Sasha!

"I want to go home! If you want to end up as food at the prison, good for you!"

"Bitch, she's going to kill you once you tell her what she needs to know! And by the way 'Monet', everyone's going to know something is up the moment you step..."

Monet punched her, knocking her out! Tyrese cried out hoarsely and Monet moved to hover over him.

"Your sister is food. Now, it's between yourself and Karen here. Tell me what I need to know about Michonne."

"I'd rather die than let you eat and cook my friends. Go to hell!" he growled softly.

"Okay then!" Monet said, moving back to Karen.

"Tell me what I need to know, and you're free to go." Monet told the woman.

* * *

><p>Mary peered out of the bus windows at Monet interrogating the prisoners. She then turned to Gareth.<p>

"Honey, I know you feel an obligation to her." Mary began. But Gareth cut her off!

"Hey, Mom! I love her! It's more than obligation, okay?"

"Gareth," Mary said firmly, "I have never felt badly about what we have been doing. Not after the brutality we suffered. In many ways killing and eating someone seems safer than waiting around to get betrayed or brutalized. But it was Michonne that saved us from those animals! She had that machine gun and the explosives. SHE helped us lock them in the train cars and starve those beasts. I didn't like what happened here to her. We owed her."

"Mom, it was Michonne** AND** Monet that helped us."

"No, Gareth! No it was not! I specifically remember Monet running around screaming while Michonne helped us get the better of those people. And you should have left her alone at Woodbury."

"Mom, Michonne was the reason people stopped coming to us! She was warding off our food! Now I just went there to ask her to please stop doing that and she was very testy! In the end, she would have never let us go into that prison and do what we needed to do. You know this. Now what's done is done. Monet will pretend to be Michonne..."

Mary snorted!

"Yes, son, good luck with that! You all are only worried about how her hair is going to look! They will know in a heartbeat something is wrong!"

Gareth nodded.

"I know. But I think we can explain that away. Everyone there was going on about Michonne having been sick. They think she's had memory lapses. I'll bring Monet back as Michonne and tell everyone that she got 'sick' on the run. That she's acting funny and doesn't seem to remember anything. And when she does seem different, no one will think anything is funny about it."

"Michonne had a baby and a husband. Do you really think Monet can fool them as well?"

"This is a prison. There might be refrigeration. I think I can get a lot of things working again that might not be. Things like a freezer so we can store the bodies we need for food. But in order to do this, 'Michonne' has to get us in there." Gareth said in a no nonsense tone.

Mary looked out of the windows again. Monet had untied Karen and allowed her to run off a few feet, before she pulled out a gun and shot her in the back, killing her. Tyrese burst out crying while Sasha was blissfully unconscious.

* * *

><p>Hershel bound Rick's arm, then sat down to talk to him.<p>

"This can't go on." he said simply. Rick's good eye glittered menacingly under the patch.

"Hershel, I don't want to talk about it. Now Phillip has undermined my authority here."

"I understand you feel that way. I do. But what happens when that time comes? When Phillip and his brood, leave? When Michonne takes Judith with her?"

"Judith isn't going anywhere. Michonne knows that. And she's not about to leave our daughter here. So she's staying. The marriage will be over." Rick said, sighing. Hershel could not hide his worry.

"What?" Rick asked.

"What happens if that isn't the case? What happens if Michonne tries to leave with Judith? I know what you think. But what if the reality is different? How do you plan to handle it? Because Phillip is not going to leave without them."

Merle moseyed into the cell.

"Just wanted you to know that Phillip is conscious after his beat down. He wants to know where Michonne is. I want to know where the hell she is too. Her and that barbecue!"

"How long has she been gone?" Rick asked testily.

"Two hours now."

"Awww, hell! It doesn't take that long to get 12 people on a bus and drive back here. Something's wrong." Rick guessed and stood up.

"Darryl and I'll go. If that fucker lied about barbecue..."

"I'm more concerned about Michonne, understand? So if something has happened to her, you bring this Gareth fuck to me, understood?" Rick asked him. Merle nodded and left the cell. Rick shook his head.

"I knew she shouldn't have went alone."

"Rick, she is very capable of taking care of herself. And maybe getting everyone settled and ready to drive here, is taking awhile." Hershel reasoned. "I'm going to go see about Phillip. He was very upset by what Andrea told him."

"She told him that to get back at me," Rick sighed, "but it's not true. Michonne wants to stay here and she wants to be with me. Phillip can leave but he's going to have to live his life without Michonne or Judith."

* * *

><p>Merle saw how the tire tracks veered off into the woods, right away. Darryl, who had been driving, stopped the car and pulled it off to the side of the road.<p>

"What the hell is this?" he muttered, getting his crossbow.

"I don't know. But Rick is going to be pissed if this is as bad as if looks."

Suddenly, the tell tale car came out of the woods and stopped beside theirs. Darryl squinted into the car.

"Gareth...you got the meat?"

Gareth nodded into the backseat. There were plastic bags full of barbecued meat. Some of it looked smoked.

But Merle was peering over at 'Michonne'.

"Girl, what the hell did you do to your hair?"

Monet smiled prettily.

"Do you like it?" she asked coyly.

"Who cares!" Darryl snapped, now eyeing her too. "When did you have time to change it?"

"All I did was comb out the braids. We're going to get back with this yummy barbecue, okay?"

Gareth rolled up the window and drove off back towards the prison. Monet sniffed!

"Good God! Those two actually look like they really belong in prison!"

"Yeah they are kind of rough looking." Gareth admitted. He noticed that the car turned around and followed them back to the prison. What he and Monet failed to see, was that Merle had snuck out of the car, waited until the cars were out of sight, then headed across the road and into the woods Michonne and Gareth had just left. Something about this wasn't right. Like for starters, where was the bus full of people that should have been tailing Gareth?

Meanwhile, Darryl just wanted to know why Gareth was driving their car and not Michonne. He practically tailgated them all the way back to the prison.


	14. Chapter 14

Andrea was tending to Phillip's bruises, when he suddenly pushed her hand away and sat up on his cot.

"What? What is it?" she asked. But Phillip began frowning heavily. How could he have missed it? Last night when Michonne and himself were making love, her body had seemed different, as was her response to him. But his mind's eye, was still thinking about his wife's body. What had been different?

The scar! The scar that Michonne had received from Lizzie, when she caused Rick to lose his eye! Lizzie had attacked Michonne as well and left her with a scar on her chest, that had made his wife very self conscious during intimacy with him.

It had not been there last night! Phillip was sure of it! Or maybe he wasn't so sure. Maybe he had imagined it was gone?

"Phillip?" Andrea asked again. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Where's Michonne? Why isn't she here with me?"

Andrea slammed the cloth she had been using to bathe is wounds, down on to the floor!

"She's gone! She went with her ex boyfriend to bring back barbecue and more mouths to feed!"

"She was allowed to go alone?"

"Darryl and Merle were too busy beating you up to be bothered. Oh and you shot Rick. Plus Michonne insisted on going alone. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

"Andrea," Phillip said tiredly, "I'm tired of your insinuations about my wife. She does not remember Gareth so the idea of her running of with him is stupid."

"But possible. It's also possible she's lying about not remembering him." Andrea huffed.

Lizzie suddenly came running in looking excited!

"Michonne is back with the barbecue! And she's changed clothes and done something else with her hair! Maybe she brought other clothes too!" Lizzie exclaimed, hopping around.

Andrea moved closer to the child with her arms folded.

"What do you mean she's changed her hair and clothes? When did she do that? Why would she do that?"

Lizzie shrugged.

"I don't know but there's barbecued chicken fingers! Do you want me to bring you some here, Daddy?"

"No honey. I'm coming outside with everyone else." Phillip said firmly. He walked to the cell door and glanced to his left. He could hear Rick coughing in his cell. Good!

Meanwhile, Gareth and Monet handed the containers of 'barbecue' to Glenn, Maggie, Beth, Carol and a few others. Monet could see they were confused by her markedly different appearance, and felt she needed to say something.

"I just combed out the braids...Gareth's mother had a nice comb and there were clothes there."

Maggie eyed her while holding a container.

"Do you have the clothes with you? And where is the bus full of people you all were supposed to bring back."

"Yeah," Glenn noted, "is that where Merle is?"

Gareth gave Monet a look and they both looked behind them. Only Darryl got out of his car and walked up to them.

"My brother thought he'd stay behind and help the 'others'." he said pointedly. Carol walked over to him coolly, before she and Darryl moved out of earshot.

"What is going on? Since when does Michonne care about fashion?" Carol asked.

"Since never. I don't know what the fuck is going on, but Merle stayed behind to find out. We found these two alone driving back here with no extra people either. I'm headed back to see if Merle needs a hand."

But Gareth eyed the two of them and pulled Monet away from Maggie and Glenn, who were staring at Monet warily.

"Okay," Gareth whispered, "Merle stayed behind to go to our camp. It's only a matter of time before he finds my mother and the people we captured."

"Your mother is handy with a gun," Monet whispered, "I'm sure 'Merle' won't be coming back. By the way, which one was he?"

"The ugly one." Gareth whispered.

"Which would make him which one?" Monet whispered back.

"Never mind that! Your' 'husband' is walking towards us now." Gareth warned.

"This fine hunk of man is Michonne's husband! He's a lot better than I would've thought she could get." Monet smiled, taking in Phillip from head to toe.

"Hey! Don't get too cozy. Our time here is limited no thanks to the 'Deliverance Brother's, okay?" Gareth said.

"Like I said, don't underestimate your mother. The 'Deliverance Brothers' are the ones that could be in trouble." Monet finished whispering, as Phillip stood in front of her.

"Michonne, honey, what have you done to your hair?"

Monet fluttered her eyelashes at him and Gareth wanted to slap his forehead! She was blowing the Michonne thing big time!

"Gareth's people had fresh clothing and I decided I wanted to do something different." Monet said, now looking at him hard.

"Uh, what happened to your face?" she asked, not caring if 'Michonne' was supposed to know that or not.

Andrea stepped into view. Something was very off! First of all, she was no fool. Michonne's hair wouldn't look like that if she had 'combed out' the braids she had worn. Secondly, now Michonne sounded funny. Andrea didn't quite know how to describe it except to say she sounded preppy or something.

"Where are the other people you were supposed to be bringing?" Andrea asked, making a show of looking around Gareth.

"Merle is helping them." Gareth said loudly, half looking over at Darryl and Carol. Phillip reached for 'Michonne's' arm.

"We need to talk. In private." he said in a no nonsense tone. He planned to ask her to remove what she was wearing so he could see for himself that that scar was not there.

"Uh, okay. Lead the way." Monet smiled at him. Phillip slipped a hard arm around her waist and marched her back inside of the prison. Andrea watched their backs, unhappily, before turning to Gareth again.

"What kind of game are you and Michonne playing this time? What is she pretending to have a personality disorder now or something?"

Gareth eyed her. Andrea was going to be the first to die here. That he was more than sure of. But what kind of meal could she be disguised as?

"I'd love to answer that question, Annie but..."

"It's Andrea. And I'll be watching both of you." she said quietly before walking off. Gareth refrained from smirking! Not very damned likely!

He looked at Maggie and Glenn and walked over to them.

"Hey, how about showing me the kitchen facilities. I'll need a place to work if I want to present this spread."

"Sure," Maggie said, "but Glenn and I will help."

"Naw, that's not necessary." Gareth begged off. Glenn raised a brow.

"Are you sure? This is an awful lot here."

"Hey, I'm the new tenant. Plus I have to make sure I have enough to continue paying rent with...so you have a freezer then?"

"Yes, a nice walk in but it doesn't work really." Glenn told him.

"Well you let me worry about that, okay?" Gareth told them both and picked up a container to carry off to his new work station. That walk in whatever, would serve as a good storage area for Andrea's body and everyone else's, as they were slowly picked off, one by one.

* * *

><p>Michonne stopped dead in her tracks.<p>

She had not found the prison.

She had found Terminus. The original butcher palace. She squinted as she stood outside of the fence. There were people there! Gareth must have lied about their being killed or...

Michonne turned quickly and decapitated three walkers, before looking back through the fence. One of the men she could see, even at this great distance, looked oddly familiar.

She saw him with a young boy and suddenly it clicked for her. Where she had seen the man before. He had been Rick's friend in the other reality. His name was Morgan.


	15. Chapter 15

But what was going on with Merle?

Merle was crouched behind a cluster of trees, shaking his head. Karen was being skinned by this weirdo that a woman kept calling 'Eugene'. He could see Tyrese sobbing like a bitch and Sasha just looked angry.

A woman stepped off of a school bus, hauling containers. She looked over at Eugene and shook her head!

"I thought you were supposed to be some kind of genius?" Mary asked, her voice filled with disdain.

"Mary, I am 100 percent genius. A genius of a 100 percentile." Eugene answered casually.

"Then you should know that you still have to scalp her before you can attach her to the spit! Monet and Gareth may think you know have this 'special ingredient' that will turn these bodies into pill form, but I'm not buying it! But my son has to see that for himself."

Eugene did not answer that. He gave her a half, stink eye look, before getting around to scalping poor Karen's hair off. He suddenly stopped and looked around. He would need a bigger knife!

He got up and moved off into the woods someplace. Mary wiped her hands on her pants and stoked the fire. She glanced at Tyrese and Sasha.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry. Monet is an animal."

"She's not the only one, lady!" Tyrese hissed. "What the hell is wrong with you people? How can you go around eating folks?"

"We do it for safety. We were raped and abused at Terminus, our other home. Never again."

Sasha, who was conscious again, squinted up at her.

"How the hell does that make any sense at all? You were abused...so I could see if if you were raping and abusing us. But eating us? That's just nasty and wrong." Sasha told her.

"But you think you're so much better, don't you?" Mary half sneered.

"Actually, I am! I've never eaten anyone!" Sasha argued back. "And 'Monet' is not going to get away with pretending to be Michonne! You saw her prissy ass! There is no way you're getting away with that!"

"I still don't get that," Tyrese admitted, blinking back tears. "why were there three Michonne's?"

"Because the world is messed up, my friend." Mary said calmly. "I would take a nap. One of you will be on that spit soon after Karen. That was her name, right?"

Neither Tyrese or Sasha answered. Mary shrugged and went back into the school bus. Merle, who watched and listened from his perch, slowly revealed himself, putting a finger to his lips, to keep the shocked prisoners quiet. He then hurried up the steps and into the bus!

Mary gasped, shocked!

"Who are you?! Get of here!"

But Merle grinned at her. Lewdly.

"You never mind who I am. For now. You get those clothes off, gal!"

Mary began breathing hard! This animal before her was no better than the ones that had attacked at Terminus! She turned and tried to run out of the back bus door, but she never even got it open, before Merle caught up with her and ripped her blouse from the back!

Tyrese and Sasha could hear some kind of commotion from their perch on the ground...

"I think Merle is probably forcing her into some depraved act!" Sasha exclaimed her eyes wide. Tyrese looked away. So what? These fuckers had killed two people in front of them. One of them being Karen. And they were about to eat her.

The bus began rocking violently, just as Eugene returned. He pulled out his gun.

"What's going on in there?" he asked in the same, deadpan tone he always used.

"Your girl is getting fucked," Tyrese said with uncharacteristic crudity, "so why don't you go in and stop it."

Eugene looked from the bus, and down at the prisoners.

"Fucked by who?"

"It's a surprise. Why don't you go and have a look yourself?" Sasha suggested sarcastically.

"You might want to untie us. You'll need help if you're going to stop him." Tyrese said.

Eugene began talking to himself.

"Mary is being fucked. But being fucked does not equate to something that needs to be stopped. I'd better get the preservatives and leave."

And with that, Eugene holstered his gun and ran off! Just as he disappeared from view, the bus rocking stopped and Merle emerged zipping his pants.

"I just had to make sure that she understood how much the 'rent' would be. Who was that fucker I saw run off?"

"Never mind him! How about you untie us?" Sasha suggested. Merle grinned at her.

"Not so fast, brown sugar! Not so fast! Now Rick doesn't want you coming back to the prison. So where are you planning on going if I untie you?"

"What do you care?" Tyrese asked.

"I want some answers," Merle said, not answering Tyrese, "about the shit that I overheard earlier. Who is Monet?"

"She's a woman that looks like Michonne. The Michonne we know was killed and is being served up at the prison. The woman that's been with us the past few days, came out of that wavy portal that everyone was talking about." Sasha said.

"Whoa! I can't follow all that. How many Michonne's are we talking again?" Merle asked.

"Three." Tyrese said dully.

"So that one with the straight hair is this Monet chick? Whew! Wait until Phillip and Rick realize she ain't who she's supposed to be. Okay, so here's the deal. I'll take the woman I just fucked in the bus..."

"You mean the one you raped?" Sasha asked pointedly.

"Now see that's where you're wrong. No one was 'raped'. Hell, no one was raped at the prison neither. Anyway, the woman will be coming with me. And Tyrese, I'll even take Sasha with me. You're on your own. But that all depends on Sasha being sweet to me."

"I'd rather die. I'd rather eat walker ass, okay?" Sasha told him.

"Now that's not very civil. I kept these fuckers from eating on both of you and that's how you talk to me?" Merle asked, sounding indignant.

Suddenly, Darryl reappeared with his cross bow. He looked all around, before lowering it.

"What is this shit? Where are the twelve people that are supposed to be here?" he asked.

"They were never here, bro! And it's worse than that! That shit about Michonne having 'memory problems' was horseshit too! That wasn't Michonne!"

"What the fuck do you mean?" Darryl asked. Sasha elaborated.

"When Michonne went out on that run with Bob, Karen and the others, that wavy portal that they kept going on about, took Michonne and God knows who else. Michonne managed to get back here but ran into this crew. Her twin sister runs with these bastards and they killed her right in front of us!"

"Michonne is the barbecue you all are eating at the prison. They killed Karen. One of the others was skinning her when Merle got here." Tyrese told them.

"Wait! Hold up!" Darryl yelled. "So the woman at the prison now is the twin sister?"

"Yep!" Merle answered.

"And the Michonne we know is dead? Something is wrong..."

"You're short a Michonne," Sasha told him, "another one came out of that portal when our Michonne went in. She was here and then the portal took her away."

"So that bitch at the prison is the twin? Rick and Phillip's Michonne is about to be eaten? Damn that's messed up!" Darryl huffed.

"No more messed up is if Rick finds out that we knew and didn't tell him! We have to get back there before he takes one bite!" Merle told his brother. He then looked at Tyrese and Sasha.

"I'm cutting you loose. Don't come around again. And if you do, Sasha, you're getting fucked!"

"Nice!" she snapped.

"I'm just telling you what's going to happen." Merle said solemnly. He then looked at Darryl.

"Apparently we got Gareth's mama in there. She'll be coming with us."

* * *

><p>"What is it?" Monet asked, still battling her eyelashes at Phillip. They were in their cell.<p>

"I need for you to remove that top, Michonne. I need to see something for my..."

"Is that all? Here!" Monet said and practically tore her own top off! She was braless and she stood proudly before Phillip, thinking again, what a fine hunk of man her dead sister's husband was!

Phillip hadn't expected **THAT** much cooperation! And of course, his suspicions were confirmed.

"What happened to your scar?" he asked quietly.

"Scar?" Monet asked, knowing somehow, again, she had messed up. But she planned to play it cool.

"Yes, honey, the scar Lizzie gave you when she put Rick's eye out. Where is it?"

"It healed."

"Michonne..."

"Well, Phillip, I mean what other answer could there be? It healed. And doesn't this look much nicer than a nasty scar?" Monet cooed, as she reached for one of Phillip's hands and placed it on one of her breasts. His hand began to instantly cup and knead it.

Phillip didn't know what to say. In the back of his mind, his wife's scarless chest made no sense. And on the other hand, he wanted to just forget all about it. His wife was looking at him in a way that he had not seen in a long time. These days it felt as if he damned near had to chase her around this prison, just to get her to make love with him.

Monet smiled as his other hand lifted and cupped her other breast, and she quickly covered her lips with her own! Gareth wouldn't like what she had to do here, but Monet would have to convince him that she had had little choice. She certainly couldn't turn away her 'husband' could she?

It would be minutes later, that Rick, on his way towards the kitchen to see about the barbecue, would spy a naked Phillip and some woman, her back was to him, gyrating in an excited manner! Rick eased backwards a bit and peered at the scene. Clearly that was not Michonne! This woman had to be one of the people Gareth brought back with him.

He raised a brow. Phillip didn't come across as the ballsy type. He was actually fucking another woman when Michonne could come around and catch him at any minute! Then again, maybe that would be a good thing. Maybe he needed to let her know that this shit right here, was one more reason why she shouldn't think of leaving this prison with Phillip or Judith.

Rick eased off in the opposite direction, while Monet, wearing a facial expression of hard determination, sprang up and down forcefully on Phillip's shaft, her pace to the casual observer, almost blurring. Phillip himself was lost, his head buried between 'Michonne's' succulent breasts, that jiggled and bounced against his cheeks like ripe fruit.

He was now convinced that that the scar had to have healed.

* * *

><p>Michonne watched Morgan and his son carefully for a few moments, then looked around. The set up here was grand. Better than what was going on at the prison. And Michonne was sure that she could smell <strong>REAL<strong> barbecue!

She sniffed the air, closing her eyes. When she opened them, her eyes focused on something odd.

There were a lot of animals wandering around Terminus. Well, not wandering around. They were being pulled or carried. Michonne spotted a few goats and horses, some dogs and cats and a few chipmunks. But what made Michonne really suspicious, was that **ALL** of the animals had bandages on them, as if they had been cut or something.

Screams almost made her jump out of her skin! A walker had gotten past the fence and was dragging itself towards Morgan and his son! Morgan got in front of his son, as two other men, one Michonne recognized as this scientist that worked with the Governor at Woodbury, and some other man, got ahold of the walker, while Morgan took out a syringe and injected the walker in the forehead!

Everyone then let go of it and stepped back. What Michonne saw next was unbelievable.

The walker turned back into a normal man.


	16. Chapter 16

Duane Jones, Morgan's son, was the first to spot Michonne on the other side of the fence.

"Aunt Michonne!" he cried out. Michonne gaped at the child as he ran towards the fence. 'Aunt Michonne'? Oh Lord! What was that all about?

Morgan squinted and followed his son towards the fence. Milton Mamet scowled when he saw who was on the other side of the fence. He had left Woodbury with Phillip and Michonne and he had been kicked out of the prison by Rick Grimes, for non payment of rent.

The other man that had helped Milton hold down the walker(who was now a normal man again that he had never seen before), was Dr. Steven Edwards. He thought maybe he should call in the head of their security to see why Michonne had returned here.

"Aunt Michonne, where's Mama?" he asked, looking very excited. Michonne gritted her teeth. That God awful 'twin' of hers was this boy's mother? How could that be?

Morgan made his way there.

"Michonne, If you're here to plead Monet's case, tell her to just forget it. Her and Gareth and those other crazy asses had better not show their faces back around here." Morgan told her in a low tone.

Michonne said nothing. What was she supposed to say? Once again, she was in a situation, where in which she could barely follow what the person that was speaking to her, was talking about! She could do no more than connect the dots.

A pretty, dark haired woman, dressed as a police officer, walked up and stood behind Morgan and Duane.

"Duane, I think you should help with lunch." the woman said in a no nonsense tone.

Morgan looked kind of irked at the woman giving his son orders.

"Dawn, we've talked about this." he said. Dawn didn't blink an eye.

"Morgan, I'm trying to help you here. I don't think it's wise for him to be around** HER** right now. And for all we know, this isn't Michonne. This could be Monet in disguise."

Morgan frowned, then eyed Michonne carefully.

"I don't think it is." he finally said.

"You don't have police training." Dawn answered. Morgan threw up his hands and walked off after Duane. Dawn then cleared her throat and faced Michonne.

"What do you want here? We took in people from that prison that were being charged rent. What happened? Did the 'rent' get too be too much for you too?"

Michonne decided not to tell the truth. It just seemed to be too much too explain. But she could sense that these people knew what Gareth, Monet and the others really were.

"Gareth and Monet have managed to weasel their way into the prison. I need help in stopping them."

Dawn squinted at her.

"Help? Is it just Gareth and Monet? How many others? Surely you have enough people to kill them and be done with it."

"I got separated from them. I'm the only one that knows how crazy they are." Michonne said.

"Michonne, I have a lot of regard for you. I always did. But you should have warned us about what your sister and Gareth were up to. They managed to divide this place. And we just barely ran them out of here."

Michonne tilted her head. Clearly, not everyone had fallen apart after being attacked by the 'depraved people', Gareth had said were here. A faction had. A faction that had insisted on eating people.

"What is going on with the animals? I saw a walker turn back into a human being." Michonne noted, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.

Dawn glanced back at a goat, that was being pulled inside of a building. She then looked at Michonne again.

"Yes, Milton has been a godsend. Thank your boyfriend, Rick, for throwing him out. Milton told us how you were cheating on your own husband in that prison. Clearly, this Rick Grimes is insane. If it hadn't been for Milton and Dr. Stevens, the cure for this crap would've never been discovered. How many rotters have you had to kill around here?"

Michonne shrugged, looking around her.

"Maybe three or four."

"Exactly. We've been letting them in a little at a time. And giving them the cure. Some don't make it because they were a little too far gone, decomposition wise. But most do and are patched right up."

"And it has to do with animal blood?" Michonne asked, quietly impressed.

"Yes. Again, Dr. Stevens and Milton realized that the cure lay in all the species that weren't affected by this virus, or whatever it's called. Look, I'd love to help but we cannot spare people to take up some war at your prison. And you're perfectly capable of taking care of Gareth and your sister alone." Dawn said and began to turn away from her.

"Well what about my nephew, Dawn? I mean he has a right to hear something about his mother." Michonne said, stalling for time. She needed some of that cure! And in order to get it, she needed to be allowed inside of Terminus.

Dawn turned back to her.

"What about him? Monet made her bed with Gareth. Everyone that left with him did. And from what I understand, you have a nice husband yourself. Look, I'll get you a small travel pack, just to be civilized. But then you should be on your way. I'll be back with it." she said and walked away from the fence. Michonne turned away as well, looking for walkers and seeing none. Did this 'cure' work in her world as well?

Dawn would be returning with food and water for her journey. What she needed was food, water and a vial full of that cure. Was it just animal blood or was it just animal blood mixed with something else?

Michonne needed to know what was going on here. Exactly. And in order to do that, she needed to stay here. This Dawn seemed determined not to let her in. Somehow she needed to change this woman's mind.

Or get someone to do that for her.

Milton appeared on the other side of the fence, pulling on a horse.

"Milton! Milton?" Michonne called out. He gave her a dirty look and she instantly recognized that he had been burned by Rick at one point. He tied the horse up and moved towards her.

"What do you need, Michonne?" he asked quietly.

Michonne knew enough of the original Michonne's past, to fake her way through this conversation.

"What do I need? Milton, why are you all sitting on a cure? Why haven't you tried to make your way around the area or even another state, to try and stop this plague?"

"You mean why didn't we come running to the prison and help you, right?" Milton countered.

"No actually I don't! You've figured out a cure for this disease and you're keeping it to yourself." Michonne argued.

"Like how Rick kept warmth and shelter to himself-for a price. I am really angry with you, Michonne. We all started out at Woodbury and went through hell to try and build some kind of community. I had hoped things would be the same at the prison, but they weren't. And the crux of all of the trouble, was your affair with that man." Milton told her matter-of-factly.

Michonne realized she had no defense for the other Michonne's behavior during that time. None. But these people had a cure! And **SOMEONE** was going to put aside their little hurt feelings and let her get her hands on it, come hell or high water!

"I got separated from the group fighting off Monet and Gareth."

Milton raised a brow.

"They made their way to the prison?"

"Yes. They are still killing and eating people. They plan to eat everyone at the prison."

"As long as Rick is first, I don't care." Milton said blithely.

"Really? You can actually look me in the eye and say that? Phillip and I are back together. We were taking half of the prisoners with us and going back to Woodbury to try and rebuild. Then I got lost." Michonne said. She could see that those words made a small dent with him.

"You and Phillip are in a good place? You were leaving the prison?"

"Yes! Rick was out of control! He even threw out Tyrese and Sasha. And he was deciding who ate and who didn't. It couldn't go on. I just need to get back to my family. And it would help tremendously if I had least knew what the cure was. I wouldn't want to take all that you have..." Michonne trailed off.

"You were standing there. You saw what we did." Milton said carefully.

"So it's just any animal blood. Is it mixed with something?" Michonne asked, keeping her tone light.

"I don't think that I should say."

"Why? Because you plan on patenting it or something? There is no one left in the world to buy it."

"You don't know that." Milton said stubbornly. Michonne refrained from rolling her eyes! Jesus! First batshit crazy Monet and Gareth want to sell human people as food, and now this creep wants to make money off of a cure for a plague that has practically wiped out civilization!

"Okay, Milton. I get it. I'm going to be on my way." Michonne said, turning away. She couldn't do this alone. She would have to come back-with Rick, Merle, Darryl and whoever else could be spared, to beat or kick the solution of of these people! Because she was more convinced than ever, that if she injected a deer for their blood, then injected that blood into a walker, that walker would probably **STAY** a walker!

"Michonne," Milton called out, "for what it's worth, I am sorry."

Michonne didn't even look back. _Yeah, you're going to be, she thought_.

* * *

><p>Rick ignored the pain from his gunshot wound and began making his way outside. Evening was beginning to fall and everyone was outside, partaking in the barbecue. He had not seen Michonne in awhile, and he found himself almost desperate to lay eyes on her.<p>

He could hear laughter and a lot of chatter, as he began to open a side door out of the prison. But he didn't finish opening the door.

Merle and Darryl grabbed him and pulled him inside! Rick wrenched painfully away from them and swore!

"What the hell?! Where have you two been?" he snapped.

"Off helping all of Gareth's 'people'," Merle said sarcastically. "And there ain't none!"

Rick's one eye blinked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Rick." Darryl said, licking his lips, "Gareth is some kind of fucking cannibal. His people are just his mama, some weirdo that got away and a woman that is Michonne's twin sister."

"The bitch is here now pretending to be her. The real Michonne is being served up right now as the meal!" Merle growled.

Rick's mouth dropped open!

"The real Michonne?"

"They had Sasha and Tyrese who explained some things. Rick, did you know that that woman that came back from the run, was another Michonne?"

Rick rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes. I agreed to let her stay until the real one returned. I'm not following this..."

"Well you'd better!" Merle snapped. "Because that Michonne that was here, got sucked into some wavy shit. The Michonne **WE** know was killed and is now the meal everyone is picking out of their teeth! And that gal out there is some twin of Michonne's, pretending to be her. She and Gareth are some kind of item."

"And you can damned well bet they plan on picking us off as food, one by one." Darryl confirmed.

Rick didn't have time to process. Or to mourn.

Carl! Judith!

"Let's get armed and go out there." Rick said coldly.

* * *

><p>Monet fed Phillip a 'chicken finger'. Maggie watched this and tried to smile. But this barbecue was nasty! She couldn't put her finger on what was wrong...<p>

Glenn half chowed down, but belched a couple of times. The meal wasn't sitting well with him either.

Lizzie was chowing down! This was the best meal she had had in awhile. Carl wasn't hungry. Michonne wasn't herself and seeing her draped all over Phillip, was ruining his dreams of his father and her getting together.

Carol slowly sat down next to Glenn and Maggie.

"I haven't had barbecue in awhile, but this stuff is..."

"How's the meal? Is everyone enjoying it?" Gareth asked, eyeing their still full plates. Andrea stood up abruptly and threw her 'chicken fingers' away.

"I think they taste like ass. I'd be ready to offer Rick something else for rent." Andrea said sarcastically to Gareth.

Monet saw the disrespectful gesture and pulled away from Phillip and stood up. She walked over to Andrea.

"Bitch, people are starving in this world! I know I didn't see you throw good food in the trash like that!" Monet hissed. Phillip came over.

"Now, now. Honey, I'm sure Andrea just doesn't feel well."

"Oh I feel fine, Phillip! This barbecue is disgusting! What animal is this anyway?" Andrea asked suspiciously.

"Chicken fingers equals **CHICKEN**." Gareth said sarcastically, now closing in on Andrea.

Carol stood up.

"**THAT** is not chicken!" she insisted.

Rick, Merle, Darryl and a couple of other men, came out quickly and aimed guns at Gareth and Monet.

"You're right, Carol. It sure as shit isn't chicken," he said, his own rifle pointed on Monet, "just as you sure as shit ain't Michonne."


	17. Chapter 17

The Terminus Cannibals were not killed immediately.

They were tortured first.

Beth was just sick about everything! And she wanted no part of what Rick and the others had planned. She was shocked that Maggie wanted some involvement in the revenge planned on Gareth, Mary and Monet. She tried to talk her out of it, as Maggie and Carol helped mix up a special 'sauce' for the new prisoners.

"This is crazy and wrong!" Beth argued. "Let's just throw them out of here! I doubt they'll come back!"

Maggie stopped stirring a bowl of the special recipe sauce, that they planned to slather on the prisoners, before throwing them out to the walkers, and gave her sister a hard look.

"It was 'crazy' and 'wrong' for those people to feed us our friend!" she hissed. She then went back to stirring.

"Two wrongs don't make a right, Maggie! Let's just throw them out!"

Carol took over the tongue lashing.

"They planned to kill us, Beth. But even worse, if we don't kill them they do what? Go out and cut up and eat someone else? Someone else that is trying to survive walkers as well? We're doing mankind a favor here. And no one is asking for your help, Beth. If you can't take it, then please go and sit quietly somewhere." Carol told the younger woman. Beth shook her head, left the kitchen and found her father, who was in the prison library.

"Daddy, what are we going to do? We can't let this happen!" Beth cried.

Hershel, who had been reading a book called 'Understanding Cannibalism'( and frankly thought a prison library was the last place a book like this should be), closed it and stood up.

"Bethie, I agree. But Rick's decided that he's going to do this."

"Daddy, Maggie has went along with this! I don't know where Glenn is..."

"Honey, he's not feeling too well. It doesn't look like the parts of Michonne he ate hurt him any, but I think the idea of it made him queasy. He's resting quietly in his and Maggie's cell." Herschel told her.

"I don't like it anymore than anyone! But now we're going to slather sauce on those three, cut them up and throw their remains to the walkers? It's not us!"

"Bethie, no one said anything about cutting anyone up," Herschel said in a low, whispering tone, "apparently, Rick just wants sauce put on all three. Then they'll be marched out, without clothing, and forced on the other side of the fence. Chances are the three of them will not be able to get away, and the smell of the sauce will make them all the more appealing to the walkers."

Beth tilted her head. Her father didn't sound especially bothered by any of this.

"Daddy, tell me you know this is wrong?"

"I know it. I just don't care. I never thought I'd say that. There was a time when I could've found it in my heart to forgive people that were this sick. But that Michonne look alike, Gareth and his mother, murdered one of us. Murdered and then came here with our friend on a plate! And they planned to kill us as well...one by one. I can't fault Rick. I just can't." Herschel said, almost sadly.

Beth folded her arms.

"Do you think any of this would be happening, if the other Michonne was here? The one that came out of that portal?" she asked her father point blank.

Herschel took a deep breath before answering.

"No."

"Rick is hurting. And when he's hurting he lashes out." Beth reminded him. "He changed after Lori died."

"Bethie, if I thought this was the same thing, I might try and talk Rick down. But we're talking about cannibals. And the fact that one of these people actually looks like Michonne, is making this worse."

"I heard someone say that this woman is the twin of our Michonne. The one that died."

"You mean the one some of us ate." Herschel reminded her. "And that's what Rick is having trouble with. That is why these people will have to die."

* * *

><p>Merle hummed almost merrily, as he simultaneously pumped smoothly into Mary, as he bent her over a table, while 'basting' her with the special sauce Carol and Maggie prepared!<p>

"Stop it!" Mary sputtered as some of the sauce got into her mouth. "I'll do anything you want but don't do this!"

"Oh honey, you're already doing everything I want! After this last fuck, you're going out to the walkers! But thank you kindly for the offer."

Mary began to sob as Merle continued to saw his manhood back and forth within her.

"You don't understand!" she cried. "This was all Monet! All of it! I was never into eating anyone until she came along!"

Merle finished with her, sexually and culinary wise, then zipped up his pants.

"The fucking people here are like family to me. No, I may not treat them well, but you don't always treat family nicely. The point is you had them eating one of our own. And I think what's going to happen to you is a lot kinder than what happened to Michonne. Hell, once we throw you out there, you **COULD** get away. Maybe. That's called a fighting chance."

And with that, Merle picked up the bowl of sauce and the basting brush and left the cell, locking it behind him. Darryl walked up and reached out for the bowl.

"How's our boy Gareth?" Merle asked, grinning.

"Begging like a bitch." Darryl noted. "I'm getting ready to put the sauce on his ass now."

Merle's expression turned serious.

"Where's Rick?"

"In with Carl. Thank God the kid didn't eat any of that shit! But he's messed up over the fact that Michonne was the meal." Darryl confided. "And then there's Phillip..."

Merle grinned again!

"Yeah, he didn't like it too much when I visited his little girlfriend in her cell. Come to think of it, Monet didn't much like it either."

Darryl took a deep breath.

"I don't know what the fuck Phillip could be thinking! He's still convinced that bitch is Michonne!"

"Aw you know what a pussy he is. He couldn't accept the fact that Michonne wanted Rick and had his kid. Any woman of mine that had pulled some shit like that on me, wouldn't still be alive. He likes **THIS** Michonne because she's the only one I've seen that likes him better than Rick." Merle said.

Meanwhile, Phillip slipped into Monet's cell to see her. She didn't look as if she had been abused, really...

"Honey, how are you? I am so sorry that I couldn't keep these animals away from you!" he said, pulling her to him in an embrace. Monet smiled wanly, then pushed him away.

"Phillip, the jig is kind of up. I mean I am **NOT** my sister. And she was my sister. And yes, she was the meal. And there was another Michonne from another reality. The point is, I can't see what my sister saw in that one eyed guy. And I regret not being able to spend more time with you. If that means anything."

Phillip said nothing for the longest moment, before replying.

"It shouldn't. You've killed my wife and taken my daughter's mother from her. But..."

Monet grinned and rubbed herself against him.

"But maybe you can talk Rick into not throwing me out to the walkers? Phillip, I swear the whole thing was Gareth and Mary's idea! Alone. And after awhile I think I had Stockholm Syndrome or something." Monet said in a cute sounding voice.

Before Phillip could answer, Monet suddenly kissed him-hard! Andrea appeared just then, opened the cell door and shoved a naked Mary into the room! Andrea shook her head in disgust at Phillip, while pointing at Monet.

"You're next. I need to apply some special sauce. The Walkers are just going to love it." Andrea said coolly. Monet sniffed the air and looked over at Mary.

"Is that what that reek is?" Monet asked snidely. Andrea pulled Phillip from the cell. Monet smirked after them, then faced Mary.

"Have you seen Gareth?"

"Like you care! How can you even stand upright? I know that hillbilly raped you too!" Mary sniffed.

"Yeah...if you can call it that. I barely felt a thing. I just let him believe his cock was actually inside of me. The man is smaller than a cocktail weenie." Monet sighed, now sitting down on a bunk.

"I didn't find him to be that small!" Mary argued.

Monet shrugged.

"I don't know what to tell you. I just couldn't get too upset over it. I just let him think he was doing his thing, cried and he left."

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Seriously! What is it with you that you don't think anything is dangerous or bad or..."

But Monet interrupted Mary.

"I have no intention of dying the way these people plan on my dying. Eugene and you should have been protecting your back. None of this would have happened if you had gotten to Merle first."

"Well we didn't!" Mary now screamed. "And now we're going to die! All of us!"

* * *

><p>"I have given up hope that you will ever come back to me, Phillip," Andrea said in a calm tone, "hell, I've given up hope that you'll ever develop common sense when it comes to Michonne. Michonne is dead and the one that was with us for a few days, went back to her own world. <strong>THIS<strong> woman is not either of them. She's the sister of the woman eaten and here you are, in her cell snuggling up to her!"

"Andrea..."

"Jesus, Phillip! She killed your wife and you want to get with her too? Just the sight of the two of you killed any love I had for you once. Killed it! And I think that I should take Lizzie with me! Once this is over I'm leaving."

Andrea was unprepared for the backhand Phillip dealt her! She gasped and took two steps backwards. Phillip smiled coldly at her.

"I want **THIS** one. I'm not going to deny it. And I'm not going allow anyone to kill her. So if that makes me sick, then whatever. But this is the end of the world. We need who we need and love who we want to love. Monet and I connected earlier, before you threw those chicken fingers in the trash. I'm taking her, Lizzie and Judith and leaving as well."

"Those. Were. Not. Chicken. Fingers." Andrea started out slowly, "**THEY WERE YOUR REAL WIFE'S FUCKING FINGERS!**"

Phillip turned and walked off. Andrea shook her head. No. No, there was no way she was going to let Phillip take up with Monet and leave here. She had to find Rick!

* * *

><p>Rick found Carl in the guard tower. Carl was staring through a pair of binoculars. He let them fall on to his chest, and glanced over towards his father.<p>

"When does it happen?" Carl asked dully.

"Noon." Rick responded. "You don't have a problem with it?"

Carl shook his head.

"They killed the good Michonne's. I don't believe the other one is in the portal. I think they killed her too."

Rick put his hands on his son's shoulders.

"You can't think like that, Carl. She's alive."

"She's gone, Dad. She might as well be dead." Carl said, feeling a lump form in his throat. Rick could not express how much it hurt him to see Carl suffering like this. And he thanked the Gods, that his son had not eaten any part of Michonne.

Rick also knew he did not deserve any kindness from the Gods anyway. Not with how he had been acting ever since Lori died. He had left the torture of three prisoners to the others, while he seriously began to contemplate as to whether he had lost this second chance at love and a life with Michonne, because of how he had been treating everyone.

He heard Carl calling his name, but he scarcely heard his son, as he also began to contemplate going off to find this portal. Maybe he could find the woman that had become 'his Michonne' in one of them. Find her and bring her back...

"**DAD**!" Carl now screamed waving the binoculars at him. Rick snatched them and looked through them.

Michonne was headed towards the gate! She had decapitated a few walkers effortlessly, but other than that...it was **HER**! She hadn't jumped through the portal after all?

Or had she come back?

Not that it mattered. Rick and Carl almost broke their necks climbing down out of the tower and hurrying to the gate to open it for her. As soon as she stepped through it and Carl and Rick got it closed, Rick yanked Michonne into his arms and kissed her soundly on the mouth before letting her go. His eyes searched hers.

"You came back." Rick said. Michonne nodded and answered.

"I came back. You ran into the..."

"They ate the other Michonne!" Carl wailed. Michonne moved away from Rick and pulled Carl to her for a hug.

"Never mind that now." she whispered. "We have work to do."

Carl sniffed and looked up at her.

"I know. We're planning on killing the cannibals. We have them locked up."

Michonne took a deep breath, then looked over at Rick.

"Let's wait on that for a bit. I have something to tell everyone that you're not going to believe."


	18. Chapter 18

They all assembled in the prison library. All except for Monet, Gareth and Mary.

Andrea just stared at this 'Michonne'. So the way she understood this story, there had been two Michonne's in this reality and one twin of hers? She rubbed her forehead. What did it matter? Phillip and Rick had things for all three!

Darryl didn't care about the soap opera that was Michonne. Neither did Herschel. The news about the cure was what they wanted to hear more about.

And Phillip? He was just staring at Michonne intently and he kept interrupting her story.

"God, Phillip!" Darryl finally snapped. "Would you just let her get a word in edgewise!"

"Shut up!" Lizzie yelled. "Stop yelling at my daddy!"

Andrea hurried over to Lizzie's side.

"No one is yelling at your father, Lizzie. But what Michonne is telling us, could save us. We all would like to hear the whole story." she said, looking pointedly at Phillip.

"Michonne and I need to talk. Alone." Phillip said in a low voice. Rick stepped forward.

"You don't have anything to talk to this Michonne about."

Phillip glared at Rick!

"You're loving this, aren't you? My wife has been served up as a meal and you get another Michonne out of the deal!"

"Oh shut the hell up!" Rick yelled back. "I saw you fucking Michonne's twin! You're getting quite a lot out of this too!"

Michonne raised a brow and looked at Phillip as Lizzie began to cry! Michonne looked at Carl.

"Carl, take Lizzie out of here, please?" she asked him.

"Oh come on! Just because she's crying I have to leave too? I want to help! I want to help go get this cure and I want to know what the plan is!" Carl insisted.

Rick walked over to his son and pulled him aside.

"We're not going to leave you out of anything, okay? You know this. But there are other things going on here that Lizzie isn't fit to hear."

"Then get Beth or Andrea to take her! All she does is whine, cry and hurt people." Carl continued to argue. Beth stepped forward.

"Come on, Lizzie. Let's go sit outside, okay?"

Lizzie sniffed and left the library with Beth. Carol noticed that Merle had been quiet.

"You must have something to say about this." she said to him. Merle, who's arms were folded, spoke up.

"I'm thinking about what Michonne said about how she got in there. So Gareth lied about what happened there before? I mean Michonne managed to just walk right up to the fence. I'm thinking about how **WE'RE** going to get in there."

"The problem is," Michonne answered him, "is that these people are not only unwilling to let anyone else in, but they're only half telling the truth about the cure. I watched a zombie turn back to a human after being injected with something. Milton told me it was animal blood and then hinted that it was mixed with something. Something he wasn't about to share. We need to not only get in there, but we need to get the truth out of these people."

Phillip now spoke up.

"Milton wasn't too happy about how he was thrown out of here. He won't help us."

Michonne nodded.

"I got that out of him. I also got that these people plan on trekking off to Washington to sell this cure. The people still left alive don't need to be made to pay for a cure."

Herschel seemed troubled. He put in his two cents.

"Let's say we find out what it is. Let's say we even get the mixture right. When the walkers that are not too far gone, revert back to themselves, they'll still be unwell."

"And they'll be more mouths to feed around here." Rick said pointedly. Michonne looked at him. She didn't like his tone.

"What are you saying?" she asked him.

"I'm saying that we've been doing fine just as we are." Rick told her.

"Rick! I only had to kill like three walkers outside of their fence! They've been keeping the population down with this cure! There are fresh walkers outside of our fence everyday! It couldn't hurt to try!" Michonne yelled.

Rick grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the library. They stood outside in the hallway.

"Listen to me: I'm not trying to be cruel here. I'm just being realistic. We don't have time to be wrestling walkers down and injecting them with whatever! Let these people go to Washington or wherever and cure this thing. We have too much going on here to take on such a thing."

"No we don't." Michonne responded. "We have nothing going on here except that we're cowering in fear. Let's take back the world we knew with this cure."

Phillip stepped out into the hallway to join them. He had been eavesdropping, of course.

"We could get them into trucks and drop them off at Terminus. They would have to cure them there." he suggested. Michonne looked at him. It was not a bad idea.

And Rick could see that Michonne liked what she heard. That didn't please him.

"Let's execute the cannibals and then think about it." Rick suggested. Michonne turned to him wild eyed!

"No! I want to hit them now! If there is a way to control this virus then I say let's do this now!"

"I agree." Phillip said quietly.

"Of course you do!" Rick sneered. Michonne ignored the two of them and went back in the library to confer with the others. Phillip smiled. This was the first time he had had the upper hand in a long while. And he could see it in this Michonne's eyes. She didn't like where Rick was coming from at all.

That meant Phillip still had a chance with her. Suddenly, Monet was fading into the sunset.

"I see now that my Michonne is back, Monet isn't looking so appealing anymore, hey?" Rick asked.

"Michonne doesn't belong to anyone. And Monet and I had a moment, nothing more. She's a cannibal. She dies with everyone else." Phillip said before turning and going back into the library. Rick stood out in the hallway and closed his eye briefly.

He then opened it.

Yes, maybe rounding up a bunch of walkers and taking them to Terminus would be a good idea.

And maybe it would be a good idea if Phillip met with an accident while he was there. An accident that wouldn't bring him back to the prison, or Michonne.

* * *

><p>Monet could not believe who she was seeing, as Andrea lathered sauce on her while she was tied down on a table!<p>

Michonne? It was the one that she thought had disappeared through that portal! She began to writhe and twist as she watched not Michonne, but Phillip standing behind her. She could see it in his eyes. He didn't want her anymore. Now that this one was back!

"Phillip!" Monet coughed out, as some of the 'sauce' slipped into her mouth, "help me! Please! We can be together! My sister wants Rick!"

"I'm not your sister!" Michonne snapped before turning and walking off. Phillip followed after her. He sensed she was upset about more than just Rick's bad attitude.

"I can't blame you. I know you have to be feeling something about Judith's mother."

Michonne turned to face him. It was the first time he had actually acknowledged that she was not technically his wife.

"I saw myself on a spit, roasting. I've made my peace with it. In this world there is no time to mourn or stay shocked about anything."

"Nor is there in the world you really come from either, right?" Phillip asked carefully. Michonne nodded.

"You have no problem with what Rick wants to do to these three?" he asked.

"No. I don't. Though Monet apparently has a husband and child she never cared for. I don't want her little boy to know this happened to her when we get to Terminus." Michonne replied.

Phillip nodded.

"That's perfectly understandable."

Michonne nodded again and began to walk off, but Phillip blocked her way.

"I don't suppose you could tell me why we don't get along in your reality?" Phillip asked softly. Michonne's expression hardened.

"You're a man known as 'The Governor' in my world. You do nothing but kill and you just recently destroyed a lot of lives. I cannot look at you without seeing that man." Michonne said and began to walk off again.

But Phillip grabbed her arm!

"You made love to me like I was someone you cared about! If I really reminded you of that horrible man, then how were you able to be with me?"

Michonne gently pulled out of his grip.

"By thinking of another man." she said, before walking off down the hall. Phillip clenched his jaw. He now knew what he was dealing with. Michonne could not see past the man he was where she was from.

But she wasn't hostile towards Rick. Rick had to be the opposite of what he was here, in Michonne's reality. And it seemed that despite any intimate relations between them, Michonne expected better of Rick and was disappointed.

Now he knew what he was dealing with, Phillip repeated in his mind. Now he had a place to begin with this Michonne in this world. And this time, Rick would not be the victor in the contest for Michonne's heart.

He would be.

* * *

><p>"<strong>NOOOOOOO<strong>!" Gareth screamed, as Darryl and Merle shoved him outside! His body was orange from the special sauce that had been slathered all over his body. It was even in his hair!

"Get out there, boy!" Merle yelled, shoving him into the sunlight. Andrea and Carol had a tight grip on Monet, who was next! The sauce looked like puke next to her dark skin.

"**PHILLIP**!" Monet screamed up at one of the windows. "**DON'T LET THEM KILL ME! I LOVE YOU**!"

"Shut up!" Andrea snapped, as Carol and her hurriedly moved the woman so that she was behind Gareth, Merle and Darryl.

Glen and Maggie were last, as they dragged out Mary, who dropped to the ground like dead weight! Glenn and Maggie had their hands full dragging her towards the gates.

Meanwhile, inside, Michonne watched from a window. Monet twisted and writhed and at one point, she locked eyes with her 'sister'.

"**HELP ME, BITCH! HELP ME! HE'S NEVER GOING TO WANT YOU LIKE HE WANTS ME! PHILLIIIIIPPPP**!"

"**OH MY GOD, SHUT UP, MONET**!" Gareth yelled back at her. "**ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT! ALL OF IT**!"

Carl nodded to Bob and they both pulled the gates open. Darryl gave Gareth one last shove, causing him to trip and fall! The walkers moved towards him as Andrea gave Monet an especially vicious shove out of the gate!

Glenn and Maggie had to pry Mary off of them, for she was now clutching their clothing. Glenn managed to wrench her hands off of his pants, before rolling her out with Gareth and Monet.

Then, the damnedest thing happened.

Gareth jumped up and began to weave and dodge between the walkers like a football player! Before they knew it, he was gone down the road, bare assed and orange from the sauce!

Monet squealed in fright and lord love a duck, managed to evade the walkers as well! She ran into the woods, however, screaming Gareth's name.

Mary was not so lucky. Merle and Darryl shook their heads as the walkers fell upon her. Glenn turned away at the sound of her screams. Maggie wrapped her arms around her husband as they comforted one another during this especially hellacious moment. Andrea turned and looked up towards the window. Phillip's face appeared, then disappeared.

Michonne at her perch, shook her head. She couldn't believe those bastards had gotten away! Rick, who had been watching as well, walked over to join her.

"They won't get away. Chances are the walkers down the road or in the woods will get them." Rick said.

"I know. It's just that they're dangerous, Rick. Watching them get away feels like...like we'll run into them again. And there's no time for it. We need to get to Terminus. I know you don't agree..." she trailed off.

"I don't. But I see your point. Tomorrow we'll head out."

"We should go now." Michonne argued.

"You don't think we've had enough excitement for one day?" he asked, his manner almost teasing. Michonne smiled wanly at him.

"I suppose. Are you going to bury her? The other me?"

"It was done hours ago." Rick told her, then pulled her to him for a small kiss, that began to blend into a deeper one. Michonne felt her disappointment and anger at him melting until...

The sound of a baby crying interrupted their moment. Phillip stood there holding Judith.

"Our little girl has missed her mama." Phillip said, handing Judith to Michonne. Michonne reached for the baby girl that was now essentially 'her daughter'. There was a part of her that wanted to hand this baby back to Phillip and leave this place. She had come back here to stop everyone from being eaten here, right?

But she had discovered something that could help everyone in both realities. And now she couldn't leave until she knew what that cure was at Terminus. Michonne walked off with Judith, talking softly to her as Phillip followed, his triumphant gaze on Rick as they walked off.

But Rick wasn't worried. He wasn't worried at all. Because he had just decided that Phillip's 'accident' would not happen at Terminus.

It would happen on the way there.


	19. Chapter 19

The next morning was the trip to Terminus.

Darryl wanted to hunt for Gareth and Monet, thinking it was more important to find and kill the two of them, than look for what he thought was a 'fantasy cure'.

"I don't mean to offend," Darryl told Michonne, "but hell, those two ate a version of you! And we can't leave people here at the prison unguarded."

Michonne, who had cleaned off her sword, nodded in agreement.

"I hear you. I do and I agree. But we're going to need every person we can find to get in there and get that cure."

"No we don't," Merle piped up, "we just need Milton. He's the one you spoke to. We're not looking to tear up the place. We just want what they got."

Rick nodded as well.

"Agreed. We'll get Milton and get him back here."

"I don't think we need to bring him all the way back here." Merle disagreed. "Let's take him out in the woods and beat the shit out of him! He'll cough up the right solution then."

Michonne realized they really needed a better plan. They didn't want to go past the gates at Terminus, otherwise they'd be outnumbered. Luring Milton out was a good plan. But how?

Phillip. Michonne could still hear the disappointment in Milton's voice. He had expected Phillip to stand up for him and keep him from getting thrown out of the prison somehow. And he had seemed somewhat happy to hear Michonne's lie about herself and Phillip.

"Phillip is the key," Michonne said, "he needs to lure Milton to the fence."

"Okay," Darryl said, "so we get Milton over there and then what? Force him to climb over it at gunpoint?"

"We'll cut a hole in the fence." Rick said.

"But that will allow walkers to get in." Michonne disagreed.

"Michonne," Rick argued, "they have a cure. What does that matter? You said there were hardly any walkers around there anyway. They'll be fine. Why don't you tell Phillip to hurry along so we can get going?"

Michonne looked at each man, before nodding and walking off. Once she was out of hearing range, Rick spoke.

"I agree with you. Both of you stay here."

Darryl squinted suspiciously at Rick. Merle grinned!

"What are you planning?"

"I'm planning on coming back here with Michonne and Milton-alone."

Darryl raised a brow.

"I don't have a problem with it but what about Lizzie?"

"Andrea loves her to death. She'll be fine. Carol mothers her too." Rick said dismissively. "I plan on telling Michonne that the two of you left out of here after Gareth and Monet and there was no stopping you. So I need for you to go hide and pull one of the vehicles out of sight, like you left."

Merle and Darryl now both grinned, then walked off in the opposite direction Michonne had left in. Rick then walked into his cell and packed a small duffle bag, just as Carl entered.

"I want to go with you all." he said. Rick slowly stopped packing and faced his son.

"I know I promised you could be involved, but plans have changed. It's going to be more dangerous than I realized."

"Dad, with Michonne, you, Darryl, Merle and Phillip going, I can help!"

Rick lowered his voice.

"That's just it. Darryl and Merle aren't coming. They need to stay here and keep Monet and Gareth from returning. It's just going to be Michonne, myself and Phillip."

Carl was silent for a long moment before speaking again.

"You're planning something, aren't you? Something with Lizzie's father?"

"Carl," Rick whispered, "he's a problem. And if he's not a problem, then Michonne, Judith, you and I, can be the family we were meant to be. Do you understand that?"

Carl nodded. Rick smiled.

"Good. Now I need for you to stay and look after your sister. We'll be back. And hopefully we'll have a cure."

* * *

><p>Phillip was not naive when it came to Rick Grimes. Many people thought that, but when it came to the sneaky suspicion that Rick was going to try and murder him, no, he was not naive.<p>

Maybe thinking that he could get this Michonne to look his way, was bordering on naiveté. But Phillip knew that nothing could happen as long as Rick was still in the picture. And he knew that Rick felt the same way about him.

He was thinking along those lines, when Michonne stood in the doorway of 'their' prison cell quarters. He looked up and smiled at her.

"It's getting to be about that time," Michonne said, stepping inside, "and we need to get things worked out as to how this is going to go down."

Phillip stopped packing and gave her his full attention.

"I had hoped your coming to me was about something else." he told her bluntly.

"Something else like what?" Michonne asked. But she knew. God help her.

"Michonne, things are different. I am not that man that you knew in your other existence. And apparently Rick isn't the man you think so highly of either. If you plan on staying..."

"I never said I was staying. I came back here to keep everyone from being eaten."

"I am 'everyone', right?" Phillip asked, his eyes probing hers.

"I didn't want **ANYONE** eaten. Especially Judith. Look, I can't afford to feel anything for anyone."

"And yet you let Rick kiss you the other day. If I hadn't come along with our daughter, there is no telling what I would've found. Michonne, I'm not trying to pressure you. But if Rick does something you absolutely can't live with, will you see your 'other' Rick the same way?"

Michonne now squinted at him.

"I don't want to talk about this shit, okay? Whatever happens won't matter because as soon as we get this cure, I'm finding the portal and going back to the world I belong in. I don't say that to hurt you..."

"Does Rick know that?" Phillip interrupted.

"I haven't said that in those words, no."

"Then he doesn't know that. And when you do tell him, he won't accept it. You realize that, don't you?" he asked, now resting his hands on her shoulders.

"He's planning on killing me. On the way to Terminus." Phillip said quietly. "I can feel it."

Michonne pulled out of his grip!

"You don't know that!"

"But you're not denying that it's possible, are you?" Phillip asked. Michonne shook her head hard, her braids now swinging.

"It's not going to happen! And it's not going to happen because I won't let it! Phillip, you need to lure Milton over to the fence when we get there. He'll come over to us if you are there."

"And then what? Make him climb over?" Phillip asked sarcastically.

"No. Rick wants to a cut a hole in the fence...I know even that sounds dicey. We'll think of something by the time we get there. Let's just worry about this cure first, before anything else, okay? Michonne almost pleaded, now touching his arm.

"Fine, Michonne. I'll go along with this. As long as you agree to think about giving our life together a chance."

It was on the tip of her tongue to remind him that **SHE** had no life with him. She never had. But the sound of Judith's crying caused her to nod, then turn and leave the cell to see the baby that she now, psychologically, did think of as hers.

* * *

><p>Michonne was not happy to hear about Merle and Darryl! Glenn and Maggie tried to reassure her that everything would be alright.<p>

"You know they aren't the only ones that can protect this prison." Glenn noted with a bit of sarcasm. Michonne touched his arm.

"Glenn, I mean no offense. Honestly. It's just that the prison in my world was destroyed by someone and we were **ALL** here. It doesn't take much." she said quietly. Rick nodded towards Phillip.

"You mean the Governor over there, don't you? It was Phillip that destroyed this prison in your reality, right?" Rick asked. Michonne didn't answer, as Phillip had just set Lizzie down, after giving her a big hug, and was moving towards him. Maggie could not help but stare at him. It didn't seem possible that the kind, loving man that they knew in this reality, could be capable of any kind of evil.

And yet, Maggie could see from the way Michonne stared at Phillip, when he was not aware, that she was leery of him.

Phillip made a show of looking around.

"Where are Merle and Darryl?" he asked. Rick walked over to the driver's side of a van they owned.

"Not here. They decided to hunt down Gareth and Monet." he replied shortly.

"That doesn't seem smart! We'll need all the manpower we can get." Phillip noted. He also realized that that meant that when Rick did made his move, there would only be Michonne to witness it. Or maybe not. Anything could happen to separate them. And if that happened, Rick would have ample opportunity to get rid of him then.

"Well it couldn't be helped," Rick replied, "besides, I'd feel better knowing that they were being hunted. They did kill your wife, Phillip. I'd think you'd understand. Hell, I would think you'd want to be with them."

"Okay," Michonne refereed, "Merle and Darryl are gone. Let's just get going, okay?"

Phillip opened the passenger side door and Michonne stepped up in the front seat of the van. Rick got in through the driver's side and Phillip followed after Michonne.

Michonne was in the middle between the two men. As the van started up and the prison gates opened for them, Michonne could only hope that both men behaved themselves.

* * *

><p>No. They would not behave themselves.<p>

Michonne didn't think anything of the fact that everyone was quiet. There was really nothing for the three of them to talk about, in the way of casual conversation. Phillip was looking out the passenger side window as Rick drove.

"So," Michonne said, "I had to camp overnight for two days. But I think we can make it in a couple of hours."

Neither man said anything to that.

"Look, guys, I know this doesn't seem like a sure thing. And I know our manpower is kind of short. But once we get this cure, once we can just give this to the walkers, we'll cure this plague ourselves."

"And of course," Phillip answered, "you'll want your people in your reality, to be able to do so, right?"

Michonne pursed her lips as Rick glanced over at them.

"Well there'll be time for that one day. But for now we have to take care of what's going on here." Rick answered.

"Is that what's going to happen, Michonne? Are you going to see if it works here and then take it back to your own reality?" Phillip pressed her. Michonne clenched her jaw. She felt like punching him! What Phillip wanted her to do, was admit in front of Rick, that she was planning on leaving sooner than that!

Rick glanced over at the two of them.

"What's going on?" he asked. Michonne dragged her eyes from Phillip's, then turned her body so that she was facing Rick.

"When we get the cure, I'm leaving the both of you. I need to get back to my reality and see if it works there." she told him.

Rick's eyes turned back to the road, leaving Michonne slightly puzzled. So he had no opinion about her decision? Or he planned to argue about it later? Or what?

Phillip suddenly clamped a set of handcuffs on Michonne, then quickly attached the other end to his wrist! Michonne stared at her wrist, then at Phillip.

"What are you doing? Get this off of me!"

Phillip then opened up his passenger side door, while Rick was still driving! Michonne grabbed on to Rick to keep from being pulled out of the truck, when she felt **ANOTHER SET OF HANDCUFFS** clamp around her other wrist!

Rick had attached a set of handcuffs and was now half opening the driver's side door! Michonne began screaming, as she was pulled from one side to the other, while each man was determined to take her out of the vehicle with him, seemingly uncaring of the fact that the very act could get them all killed!

Rick was the winner in the 'Michonne Tug Of War', as Michonne felt herself being forcefully dragged from the truck, just as it flipped through the air! As she and Rick landed on the pavement, the handcuffs broke, freeing her from him! The truck skidded into an abandoned car, before catching on fire!

Michonne slowly managed to get up. Was Phillip still in there? They had to get him out!

Michonne turned to find Rick coughing and slowly standing up.

"Phillip could be in there! We have to get him out of there!"

"The hell we are! If he's gone, then good! Did you see that shit he was pulling? He planned to drag you out of the truck and take off! So if he's dead or hurt, to hell with him!" he huffed.

"Uh excuse me? What were you planning on doing?" Michonne asked with a raised brow. Rick looked away just as the truck exploded!

The explosion, for some inexplicable reason, returned the wavy portal! Michonne saw it, then looked at Rick sadly, who now saw it with his very eyes! He tried to grab Michonne to forcefully keep her there with him, or to at least drag her away from it, but Michonne ran for towards it and jumped through the waves!

"**NOOOOOO!**" Rick screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>THE TRUE REALITY-TWO DAYS LATER<strong>

Michonne coughed as she awoke, then sat up startled. Where was she?

She was in a living room, lying on a couch. A beat up looking Rick who was with Carl, hurried into the room.

"Thank God! I didn't think you'd ever wake up!" Carl cried out, reaching down to hug her. Michonne returned the embrace, while looking up at Rick. The real Rick. And his expression was anything but loving.

"We found you just lying out in the street. A walker could've gotten to you. You've been unconscious for a day. What happened?" he asked.

Michonne slowly let go of Carl. She then looked from him to Rick.

"I was in another reality." she said.

Carl and Rick stared at her, then at one another. Michonne could see they weren't buying it. She stood up.

"I was looking for the two of you when this wavy portal thing, kind of swallowed me up. It was a different world. The prison was still there and almost everything was the same." she said.

Rick sighed and massaged his temples. Michonne was not prone to making up stories, so he was just going to listen to whatever this was she was going through. Carl was a little more open and sat down.

"What happened?" Carl asked.

"A lot. But what's important, is that in that reality, there was a cure for what's happening here. Some kind of cross between animal blood and something else."

"A cure?" Rick asked skeptically.

"Rick, I know I sound crazy! Believe me, it **WAS** crazy! Everyone was alive and even worse, the Governor was too. But he was kind. And Carl was the same too. Rick you ran the prison and the point is there was a cure. I saw walkers being injected with animal blood. I just don't think there was all there was to it though. I think the animal blood was mixed with something else. I ended up having to return here before I could get the whole story."

"Michonne," Rick said gently, "we've all been through a shock, with what happened at the prison. Carl found some some supplies. Nice canned supplies that we can cook. We'll have dinner and maybe just rest up here awhile before we look for the others. Okay?"

She wasn't explaining this well, Michonne realized. And she got the distinct impression that maybe now was not the time to go into everything. Her story sounded more 'Wizard of Oz' like than anything else. She would keep quiet, for now. She would let them cook her dinner tonight. But as soon as Rick began to feel a little better, she was going to find out if there was such a place as 'Terminus' in this world. And if there was, then she was going to find it-with or without Rick and Carl.

And if the cannibal angle was true, then maybe it would be best if Michonne searched for the place alone.

* * *

><p>Michonne was worried about Rick. He just didn't look a hundred percent. But in spirit and strength, he seemed okay.<p>

Darkness had fallen upon the house, and they closed all of the curtains and lit a small candle. Carl slept near them in a sleeping bag he found in a closet upstairs, as Michonne and Rick sat quietly around the candle.

"Do you wanna tell me what happened?" Rick asked. Michonne was a little thrown by the question.

"What do you mean?"

Rick gave her a knowing look.

"I know you think Carl and I don't believe you. I honestly don't know what to make of what you started to tell us. But I know there's more. And I wanted to hear it before Carl did."

Michonne shook her head.

"There's nothing to tell." she lied. Rick peered at her.

"Why are you lying?"

"I think to call me a liar is kind of harsh."

"Michonne, even I had to admit that it was weird to find you lying out there like that. No walkers around. They're out there and yet you didn't attract them at all."

Michonne shrugged.

"Why don't we try this instead," Rick offered, "tell me where you **THINK** you were."

Michonne hesitated. Rick's eyes were shining in the candlelight. Shining from what, she could not tell.

"Okay," she agreed, "I'll tell you. But it's weird."

"I figured as much. Otherwise you wouldn't be hesitating." Rick answered. He was more than just curious. He found Michonne's hesitation...

Rick realized that he actually thought that Michonne was more shy about telling this story than hesitant. And that peaked his curiosity some.

"Okay," Michonne began, "I found Carl and you here. It was as I was approaching this house that I saw this wavy type of thing."

Rick raised a brow.

"Wavy type of thing?" he asked.

"You know, like how a really hot day can look. Or like how it looks in the desert."

"Oh." Rick nodded, now understanding.

"Anyway, the wavy thing moved. It moved towards me and it took a walker into it. I couldn't get away it just moved towards me and sucked me in. The next thing I knew, I was outside of the prison again."

"And the walker?" Rick asked. Michonne shrugged.

"I never saw it again. I didn't really have time to think about it. I mean the next thing I knew, Herschel was alive and Andrea was there. They seemed to be expecting me but with other people. They wanted to know why I was back alone."

Rick had to admit, he was more than a bit interested now. Michonne continued on.

"I found out that I was married to the Governor. We lived at the prison with everyone else."

Rick said nothing to that for the longest moment before speaking.

"Carl and I were there too?"

"Yes. You know, I'm feeling kind of tired so maybe I'll tell you the rest another time." Michonne said quickly and blew out the candle. She then rested her head down on her sleeping bag.

Suddenly, the candle was re-lit! Michonne raised her head up again.

"I'm feeling really sleepy, Rick."

"Fight the drowsiness then." Rick replied in a no nonsense tone that had unbeknownst to them, had awakened Carl.

"Okay, uh, yes, Carl and you were there."

"How were we living in the same prison as the Governor?"

"Well, he was a nicer man than the one we knew." Michonne allowed.

"The Governor was nice?" Rick asked in disbelief.

"His name was Phillip. And yes, he was nice." Michonne replied. Now Carl sat up and she looked over at him. She then looked at Rick.

"What?" she asked.

"Phillip?" Rick asked. "You called him 'Phillip'?"

"That was his name."

"Who gives a shit!" Carl suddenly snapped. Rick gave him a look of reproach but Carl didn't back down.

"Why are you saying his name like that? Like he's a decent person or something?"

Michonne carefully looked from Carl and Rick and decided that she **REALLY** couldn't afford to say anymore about it.

"I don't think we should talk about this."

"Why?" Carl demanded to know.

"Because some inappropriate things happened." Michonne answered delicately.

"Inappropriate between who?" Rick asked in a demanding tone.

"**REALLY** inappropriate!" Michonne said with emphasis, now looking at Rick. "There are things Carl shouldn't hear."

"Oh come on!" Carl griped.

"Go to sleep, Carl," Rick told him, "we'll save this conversation for another time."

Carl grumbled some more and much to Michonne's relief, Rick blew out the candle. Michonne settled down to sleep...

Morning seemed to come fast. Michonne awoke, then rose up from her sleeping back and stretched. Her hand connected with something and she looked over to her left and squeaked!

Rick was propped up on one elbow, staring at her with an expression Michonne could not read! She coughed and sat up even straighter.

"Uh, good morning. How long have you been like that?"

"Like what?" Rick asked in an even, measured tone.

Michonne cleared her throat and looked him over.

"Like this. You know, just sitting up and staring."

"Oh," Rick said, drawing the word out, "you mean how long have I been just lying here, waiting for you to wake up?"

"Yeah." Michonne said in a suspicious tone. What was wrong with him anyway?

"Well most of the night actually. You remember how I was sleeping over there, right?" Rick asked, nodding towards another couch.

"Yes." Michonne answered.

"Well I woke up thinking someone was in the house because I heard talking. But then I realized it was you. So I kind of came over to find out what you wanted."

Michonne raised a brow.

"What are you talking about? You're implying that I talk in my sleep?"

"Yes. Something I don't think you ever did before. But then our cells weren't near one another at the prison..."

Michonne interrupted him. She didn't like his tone. It was almost teasing. And she had a bad feeling where this was going.

"It's time for breakfast. I'll cook something."

"Anyway," Rick continued, "I heard you calling me. So I came over to you to find out what you wanted. But I then realized you were still asleep. But yet you were saying my name. And you weren't just saying 'Rick'. It was more like 'oh Rick' and some other stuff..."

"**CARL**!" Michonne screamed. Carl, who had been softly snoring, now awoke with a start!

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said, now standing up, "I'm fixing breakfast and then we're going out to look for more supplies-**JUST** you and I. Your father needs some more rest. He's imagining things."

Michonne turned from Carl and gave Rick a no nonsense look, before walking out of the room. Carl watched her leave and then looked at his father.

"Dad, what's going on with her?"

Rick slowly stood up and stretched before answering.

"I think Michonne is still feeling out of sorts. She definitely has been through something."

"So do you think she'll tell us the rest of that story today? About us being at the prison with the Governor, who wasn't a creep?"

"I think Michonne will tell us what happened in her own good time. Why don't you get ready to go out with her, okay?"

Carl eyed Rick.

"You're staying here?"

"I think you'll get more answers out of her alone." Rick replied. Carl didn't really know what his father meant by that, but he nodded and decided not to question him any further. He left the room too, leaving Rick alone with his thoughts.

He had heard enough from Michonne's sleep ramblings, to figure out that Michonne thought she had been swept into a world where the two of them had been lovers. Rick didn't expect her to ever admit it and he decided that for now, he would let the matter drop and let her get her bearings in this time and place, again.

He walked over to one of the windows and peered out, looking for walkers.

Instead, he got quite a surprise.

He saw a wavy...wall of some sort, move away from the house and sweep down the street. He backed away. Whatever the hell that was, had been right in front of the house! It was almost as if it had been waiting...

For Michonne. And whatever was on the other side of that thing, had been waiting as well.

Rick decided there would be no hunting for supplies today. Michonne, Carl and himself were getting out of here. He looked down the road again. He didn't see the wavy wall.

Now he knew what Michonne had been saying was true. Or what she had been trying to tell him. And Rick could not shake the feeling that that wavy whatever, wanted Michonne to come to it again.

That wasn't happening. But how to convince Michonne and Carl they had to leave without telling them what he saw?

Oddly, Michonne provided the answer.

She was in the kitchen, when movement caught her eye out of one of the windows. She saw two men, that looked kind of rough looking, peering around. She nodded to Carl, who saw them and hurried out into the front room. He whispered to Rick.

"Dad, there were two guys outside!" he hissed. Rick ran to another window and peered out. There were three men coming up the walk. Not an ideal circumstance, but it would do.

"We have to get out of here!" Rick whispered loudly. "Tell Michonne to grab what she can..."

Michonne already had her sword and pack. She nodded to the both of them.

"I saw a back door out of the garage. We can get out that way." Carl told them. And with that, the three eased out into the garage, closed the connecting door behind them, and escaped through a back door out of the garage-just as the wretched pack of intruders entered their brief, humble abode, and one by one, began shouting out the word, 'claimed'.

**THE END**


End file.
